Lost in Time, Home in the Past
by thesciencegeek101
Summary: Lydia Nightlock is a demon; one living in the modern world with her friends, Simon Croft, Annalise Bennett and Sarah Midford. When she and her friends get invited to Sarah's Aunt's manor for the summer, they all somehow manage to get sent back to the Victorian era in London. Jesus tap dancing Christ. SebastianXOC Chap one of 'Lost in Time, Back in the Future' will be up soon!
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Lydia Tempest is a demon; A young one living in the modern world with her friends, Simon Miller, Annalise Bennett and Sarah Midford. When she and her friends get invited to Sarah's Aunt's manor for the summer, they all somehow manage to get sent back to the Victorian era in London. Jesus tap dancing Christ…

* * *

Chapter One: Their Friend, Intelligent

No one knew her secret. Her deep dark secret. She was unlike anyone they ever knew. She would often stare off into space, or do things that no human was capable of. They didn't care. She was their friend. So of course they didn't question her when she got a one hundred and ten on her advanced calculus test. Well, they did, a little…

"How the hell did you get a perfect score on the test?! It was so damn hard!" Annalise Bennett cried.

She wore a bright pink top, with blue wash skinny jeans and white ballet flats. Her shoulder length blond hair was held up by a pink, glittery head band. She glared at her friend, who was sitting at her desk in their math classroom. The day had ended, and they were about to leave. Her bright green eyes were narrowed into a glare.

Lydia smirked. "I studied. It is as simple as that." She replied, crossing her arms across her chest. She wore a black t-shirt and jeans. She had a dark grey cardigan over everything, and she wore ankle high boots and had a black fingerless glove over her left hand. Her black, waist length hair was tied up in a messy bun, a single red rose adorning it.

" I need to get better grades you gotta teach me your tricks. There is no way that studying got you that score. C'mon please?" Annalise cried, drawing out the please.

Lydia was smirking again. She stood up, patted her friend on the head and shouldered her bag." Next time." She told her.

"Meanie!" Annalise cried, running after her friend. "If I was that mean, the Germans would have won WWII." Came the stern reply of her friend.

"What?" Annalise stopped in her tracks. "It was a joke!" Lydia called, laughing slightly at her friend's reaction." Oh..." came Annalise's confused reply." Wait! You made a joke?!"

Lydia laughed as her friend scurried after her, hopelessly trying to catch up to her friend.

"Hurry up! Simon and Sarah are waiting for us at the Library." Lydia called, watching as her friend struggled to keep up with her own quick stride. "Can we please get ice-cream after? Pleaseeeee?" Annalise took a hold of her friend's arm, looking up at her friend with pleading eyes.

"Fine…" Lydia murmured, giving in to her friends 'puppy dog eyes'. "YAY!" Annalise ran ahead, jumping around and twirling around." Come on! I want my ice-cream!"

Lydia smiled, amazed at how little things could make humans so happy.

* * *

"You're late!" Came the angered voice of Simon Croft. He sat at one of the tables at the back of the library. He wore brown cargo pants and a green t-shirt. Lydia and Annalise had just arrived, late, according to him.

"We are not. According to my watch, we still have about twenty two seconds to spare, therefore we are not late. We did agree to meet here at three, and we are here, at two fifty nine at thirty eight seconds." Lydia spoke, taking a seat across from Simon.

He glared at her, crossing his arms." What? It takes talent to be this accurate with time." Lydia smirked, placing her book bag on the ground next to her feet.

Annalise stood next to Simon, her mouth open in awe. "How did... How did you…You... the …time…" She gasped out. "Annalise, close your mouth you look like a fish." Lydia scolded her friend. Annalise snapped her mouth shut and sat beside Simon, who leaned back in his chair.

"Where is Sarah?" Lydia asked. "She went to go get some books." Simon answered, looking at Annalise." Soooo, how did the math test go? I got an eighty-two." Simon asked.

Annalise hung her head, and muttered something incomprehensible." What?" Simon asked, not understanding." I got thirty…" She moaned, throwing her head back.

"Who got a thirty?" Their friend, Sarah Midford asked, coming around a bookshelf, arms full of books. Lydia got up to help her while Annalise shrunk in her chair." That would be little miss beauty queen over here." Simon replied, nodding towards Annalise, who was currently under the table.

"Wow…I don't know what to say. I never got the best grades, but a thirty…wow" Sarah sat down beside Lydia who had placed the books on the table. "Mom's gonna kill me…" Annalise cried, poking her head out from under the table, worry clear as day on her face.

"I offered for you to borrow my notes, but someone had a very important manicure appointment to go to." Lydia spoke, looking pointedly at Annalise, who was now back in her chair." Hey! My nails are as important as school." Annalise snapped, causing everyone at the table to laugh.

"So, what are all these books for.?" Simon asked." My Aunt Lizzy. The one who lives in London just inherited a huge manor from her deceased Great Grandmother. It was called the Phantom manor, or was it Funtomhime…" Sarah sighed and pulled one of the books off from the stack." I want to get as much information on it as I can."

"The manor was Phantomhive Manor, and the Earl that used to live there had a Toy Company called Funtom."Lydia spoke, correcting Sarah." I knew that." Sarah said." So what did you get on your test? Simon got an Eighty three, Annalise got the thirty, I got an eighty nine, and so what did you get?" She asked Lydia.

"Miss know it all got a one hundred and ten!" Annalise practically yelled out. Simon and Sarah both stared at Lydia like she had grown a second head." Analise. I would appreciate it if you would let me answer my own questions." She told Annalise." But yes, I did get a one hundred and ten."

"How did you get a one hundred and ten?" Sarah asked. "You get a regular hundred, and then answer the bonus correctly." Lydia said, as if getting that score was normal. And it was, for her anyway.

"Whoa…" Sarah and Simon said at the same time. "How come you always get the really good grades? I mean, come on!" Simon said, pretending to be mad." I am just one hell of a straight A student." Lydia smiled, tilting her head to the side.

"I wish you weren't as hell as a Straight A student…" Annalise muttered under her breath." What?" Lydia, asked, having heard her." Nothing!" Annalise cried. She quickly dove into the stack of books that Sarah had picked out." I found it!" Sarah said, placing he book on the table.

"Found what?" Simon asked, bending over the book." The Phantomhive manor! It says right here that it was burnt down twice in less than ten years. The original owners, Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive both died in the first fire, leaving behind their only son, Ciel Phantomhive. He went missing for several years before returning. About three years later he went missing once more and returned back home, and continued to live as the last remaining heir to the Phantomhive family. Oh how sad…Aunt Lizzy told me that her great grandma was betrothed to this Ciel Phantomhive. No wonder she inherited the mansion."

"Sad indeed…" Annalise said, looking down cast." I feel bad for this Ciel Phantomhive…" She looked at Lydia." Isn't it sad?" She asked. Lydia just nodded. She felt as if the atmosphere was thick with dread." Why don't we all go and get ice cream? My treat." she asked, trying to break the ice.

As expected Annalise was the first to agree. She shot up in her seat." Hell Yes!" She yelled, receiving a loud," Shhhh!" from practically everyone in the library. She grinned and ran out. Simon sighed, "I guess so." He stood up, shouldering his bag." I'll go make sure she stays under control." He left Sarah and Lydia, still sitting at the table.

"I guess we're going to get ice-cream. Can you help me put these books away?" Sarah asked. Lydia nodded and picked up some of the books, and followed Sarah to put them away.

* * *

"Oh…. I don't feel so good…" Annalise leaned against Lydia as the four friends exited the ice-cream parlor." I don't know why. You did eat the entire banana split sundae by yourself." Simon pointedly said." I hate ice-cream…" Annalise moaned." You're not going to say that the next time we pass by the parlor." Lydia told her friend.

"True" Sarah said, making them all laugh. "Well, I gotta go home and study for the upcoming history exam. See you guys tomorrow at lunch." Simon waved them goodbye and went on his way, towards his parent's flat downtown.

Sarah said that she had to go home as well, and she called her mom to pick her up, since her home was too far to walk there. She bid them goodbye and Lydia and Annalise went on their way.

"Hey, Lydia, can you help me study for my history exam?" Annalise asked. Lydia smiled at her friend." Sure." She answered. "Thank you! You are the greatest friend ever. I'll let you borrow my favorite pink nail polish!" Annalise said, hanging on to Lydia's arm.

Lydia glanced at her own finger nails, which were painted black, and has been for as long as she remembered. "You need to add a bit of color to your life. I only see you wearing dark colors and such. You need a bit of pinks and purples and sparkles." Annalise started to ramble.

Lydia smiled down at her friend, who was chatting on about things that held no interest to Lydia." You think so?" Lydia asked. "Of course! After all, it gets tiring after doing the same thing over and over." Annalise spoke, smiling up at Lydia.

_You have no idea…._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I personally think that this a is more of a filler chapter, and its not the best, and im really sorry for the shortness of it! i'll try harder next time!

* * *

Chapter 2: Their Friend, an Etiquette Teacher

By the end of U.S History, Annalise was enraged. She stormed over to Lydia's desk, where her friend was sitting, doodling in the margins of her notebook." I hate Miss. Turner." She deadpanned.

"Why?" Lydia asked without looking up from her notebook." She is so strict. I mean, how am I supposed to know how the French Revolution started?"

"U.S History textbook, chapter twelve, page 342, second paragraph, third line." Lydia stated, looking at her friend with slight smirk. Miss. Turner's history class had just taken their exam, and Annalise was stumped at the second question.

"Who cares? Schools almost out for the summer, then it's off to college!" Annalise threw her arms out in front of her, then leaned over her friend's shoulder.

"Its lunch. Let's go eat. I'm hungry." Annalise said. "You are always hungry…" Lydia muttered." What was that?" Annalise questioned her friend." Nothing. Let us go get lunch." Lydia got up, stowing her notebook within her book bag.

* * *

"Guess what?!" Sarah danced around the table that the four friends always sat at during lunch. "Annalise actually got a good grade." Simon suggested.

" Hey!" Annalise, who was seated next to Simon punched him in the arm. "Ow…dang, beauty queen." Simon muttered." Nope!" Sarah smiled and continued to dance around the table.

" Simon got a girlfriend?" Annalise suggested." As great as that would be, NOPE!" Sarah laughed at Simon, whose face was gradually turning redder by the second. Lydia, seated across from Annalise, poked at her food with a smile on her face.

"Lydia did something wrong?" Annalise tried." Hey…. Good point. I never actually see her get in trouble for _anything_." Simon said, over his embarrassment, now looking at Lydia." I do things wrong. You lot are just too oblivious to actually see me do it." Lydia said, glaring at Annalise.

"I never thought of that, but no. My Aunt Lizzy invited me to stay at that manor she recently inherited." Sarah finally sat down next to Lydia and pulled out her lunch." And that is good news to us how….?" Simon asked, running his hand through his messy brown hair.

"She invited all of you to stay there with me!" Sarah exclaimed. She threw her arm around Lydia's shoulder, pulling her close." Isn't it great?" She asked. Lydia nodded while Annalise looked dreamily at the sky." Oohhh. Living in a manor…" She sighed.

"I think someone's already ready to go…" Simon muttered, looking at Annalise with an exasperated expression. Lydia laughed. She liked hanging out with her friends like this. It made her feel alive. She looked at Sarah." When are you going to see her?" She asked." This Summer." Sarah answered.

"Hopefully mom will let me go with you guys." Annalise said, looking down at her food." I'm sure that she will let you come. My mom will probably let me go." Simon said. He looked at Lydia." What about you" He asked." I'll probably be able to go. I already have a lot of freedom since my parents don't live with me." She answered. _They don't and never will live with me again… _she thought.

"Well, mom already said yes, so all we need is Simon and Annalise's permission to go." Sarah said, glancing at her watch." Lunch is almost over. I'd better get going." She stood, grabbing her bag." Remember, I need to know if you're going or not by the end of the school year. I'm going this summer!"

With that, Simon, Annalise and Lydia were the only ones left at the table. Simon looked at Annalise. "How did you do on your history exam?" he asked. Annalise hung her head." I take that as an 'I didn't do so well' look" Simon laughed. "I thought Lydia helped you study."

"She did…" Annalise moaned. She hung her head even lower. "She wanted to watch the latest episode of 'Pretty Little Liars'" Lydia said, rolling her eyes." So she didn't pay much attention to me." The bell for lunch rang out, and students started trickling out of the lunch area to get back to their classes.

"Well, I'd better get going. I have robotics next." Simon said, shouldering his bag. "Annalise and I have a free period after this, so we'll see you after school. Is my place alright?" Lydia asked." Sure. I'll tell Sarah. We both have band last period." He waved and ran off.

Annalise signed and glanced over at Lydia, who was currently pushing her food around her plate, leaving it untouched. She caught Lydia's eye and smiled guiltily.

Lydia sighed and pushed her plate towards her friend. "Here."

* * *

The next couple of weeks were fairly uneventful. Exams went smoothly, well at least for everyone but Annalise. Simon was able to go to Europe with Lydia and Sarah, and Annalise even managed to convince her parents to let her go as well. How exactly? No one will ever know.

Pretty soon, the last day of school was come and gone, and before they knew it, they were all in Annalise's bedroom, watching her pack for the trip.

Lydia and Sarah sat on the bed, while Simon sat at her desk. They were talking about the trip, and how they were going to spend it.

"I want to visit all the historic places like Big Ben and the churches built in the countryside and-" Simon was cut off by Annalise." Well,_ I_ for one want to go shopping!" she cried, throwing an armful of dresses into her already packed suitcase.

"Are you going to need _all_ of those dresses?" Sarah asked, playing with Annalise's Chihuahua, Pippin. "Of course!" Annalise smiled, stowing another armful of clothes into yet another suitcase." How many suitcases are you taking?" Lydia rose an eyebrow at her friend.

"Four!" Annalise said, pointing to the remaining two suitcases. Simon face palmed while Sarah shook her head. "We are only going to be there for a couple of weeks, and I'm sure my aunt will provide_ some_ clothes, so you don't need to pack that much…"

"Sarah is right. Besides, it is not proper for a young lady such as yourself to pack so much clothes. Before we go to London, do remind me to go over some etiquette lessons and such. You must, _must, _learn how to act like proper young lady." Lydia said, standing up.

"She said it twice…"Simon muttered, shrinking back a bit. "It must be important…" Sarah's eyes widened. Annalise turned around after pushing another blouse into the third suitcase. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" she asked.

She regretted asking as soon as Lydia smirked in a way that sent chills up your spine.

* * *

"You must learn how to sit properly at the table. No slouching is allowed, so you must not, _must not, _slouch. Understood?" Lydia stood over her friend who was currently sitting on a bench at the airport.

Annalise simply nodded, too scared to say anything. She gulped while Simon and Sarah stood to the side, watching with amusement on their faces. "Why doesn't Simon and Sarah have to do this too?" Annalise whined.

"Sarah was born and raised in England, and she is a part of a noble family, while Simon took etiquette classed last semester. _They_ know how to act like proper, well-mannered people. _You _on the other hand has not a sense on how to act like a proper young lady." Lydia answered, throwing Annalise a glare.

"I do know how!" Annalise moaned, standing up, glaring up at Lydia, who was nearly a head taller than she." Proper young ladies do not glare, and one does not slouch while standing. "Lydia said, slapping Annalise on the shoulder.

"OW!" She cried, clutching her shoulder. She continued to glare at Lydia and then made a very rude gesture toward her friend. Lydia saw this and narrowed her eyes. She then reached out, took Annalise by the ear and dragged her to the terminals, as she continued to pester Annalise about acting like a proper young lady.

Simon, who was standing closest to Lydia at the time of Annalise's little 'outburst' could practically feel the rage rolling off of Lydia in waves. He felt a chill up his spine, then leaned over and whispered something in Sarah's ear.

"Annalise is _so_ dead…" he said. Sarah just nodded her head in agreement. Simon recalled the time where Annalise had decided to put a dead cat in Lydia's locker at school as an April fool's prank. When Lydia found it, it was already starting to smell, and it had practically ruined _all_ of her textbooks, and she was absolutely _furious_. All hell broke loose. She had yelled at Annalise for several hours strait then she went and ignored her for the next three weeks.

After that, Simon, Sarah, and Annalise all made it a mutual agreement to never, _never _make Lydia mad.

"You guys might want to hurry before we miss the flight!" Lydia called, already near the boarding gate. Sarah and Simon looked at each other for a split second before running after their two friends.

They did not want to end up on Lydia's bad side. _Ever._

* * *

_A/N: I need every one to do the poll I have set up in my profile. it correspond with the story. im closing the poll at the end of the month, so hurry and answer it!_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm really sorry about the previous chapter. I am actually working on rewriting it at the moment, so I'll let you all know when that is done. I hope to get to the 'time traveling' part within the next several chapters, then the story should get really interesting. Anyway, here is chapter 3! Enjoy! BTW, for those who want more info on the ocs, I will (possibly) have their profiles up on my profile page. I am also looking for ocs to add to my little story here, so just pm me the profile. I will pick the ones that sound the best!

* * *

Chapter 3: Their Friend, What they Think of Her

Annalise stretched out her legs in front of her as she reclined in the comfortable first class seat on the airplane.(Courtesy of Sarah) She sat next to Lydia on one side of the aisle, while Simon and Sarah sat on the other side. She had her earphones in, and was listening to one of her favorite bands, Skillet.

Lydia was sleeping. Annalise stared at her friend, amazed at how content she looked. She had her head in her hand, one elbow on the armrest, one on her lap, folded over the yellowing, leather bound book she had brought.

She glanced over at Simon and Sarah, who were both playing on their electronics, as were some of the people on the plane. Simon wore jeans and a simple black t-shirt. His own dark hair was slightly disheveled and spikey. He stared at his phone, which he held in his hand.

Sarah wore a blue strapless sundress, brown boots, and a denim jacket. Her brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She caught Annalise's eye and waved. They had taken the night flight, so others on the plane were sleeping.

She once again turned her attention back to Lydia. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed. Today, she wore a long sleeved purple t-shirt with a black rose design and jeans. The cuffs of the jeans were tucked into black combat boots, which was adorned by silver lining. Her long dark hair was pulled into a loose braid, with several strands hanging loose around her face.

She wore silver owl shaped earrings, which was a gift from Annalise for her seventeenth birthday. She also wore the fingerless gloves that she never seemed to take off. Annalise had often asked why she wore the gloves so often, and Lydia told her that it was to hide her birthmark, and that she never took them off, unless she wanted to bathe or wash her hands.

Annalise looked down at her own clothes. She wore a simple white shirt with floral designs and a pink skirt. She wore white sandals and her hair was left down. She ran her fingers through her blond hair, not liking the color. She always saw herself as the dumb blond, and it seemed as she was living up the title. Beside her, Lydia shifted in her seat, turning to face Annalise. Her eyes snapped open, revealing the silvery blue eyes that seemed to see right through everything.

"Did I wake you?" Annalise asked, looking at her friend. Lydia shook her head, gazing out the window. She rubbed her eyes slightly. It was dark, and not even close to sunrise. Annalise watched her friend as she took her book and opened it to a bookmarked page and started reading.

Lydia was a quiet girl. She wasn't the most talkative, but when she spoke, her voice held a kind of sadness. Like some tragedy had befallen her. She was really gothic too. She never wore bright colors, and rather wore dark blues, purples, greys and black. She never wore make-up, but was really pretty nonetheless.

Lydia caught Annalise staring at her and she looked up, raising an eyebrow." Is something on my face?" she asked. Annalise quickly shook her head. "No." She answered. Lydia gave her a strange look and turned her attention back to her book.

Annalise continued to gaze at her friend while she read. Lydia seemed perfect. She got good grades, and was kind to everyone. Why couldn't she be like that? To her, Lydia was the perfect role model.

She was jealous. It was as simple as that. She quickly pushed the thoughts out of her head. Lydia has been her friend for a long time. She didn't want jealousy to get in the way of their friendship. She remembered the time when Lydia had actually punched a bully in the face on the first day of school because he was teasing her. They were friends ever since.

She knew that Lydia would stand up for her no matter what. Sure she was secretive at times, but they were still friends. That's all that mattered right? Annalise sighed and leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. Sleep sounded good to her.

* * *

Simon stretched as he and his friends got off the plane and walked into the London Airport. Annalise was groggy, and was being lugged out by Lydia, while Sarah carried her carry on for her. Simon looked at Lydia. She had pulled her hair out of its braid, so it fell down her back in slight waves. She had one arm wrapped around Annalise while the other carried her own carry on.

He loved Lydia like a sister. As he and Sarah neared the bag carousel, he saw Lydia place the sleepy Annalise on a nearby bench. She then went and got all four suitcases that were Annalise's as well as her own. She went and put the suitcases down then went to help Sarah with her own.

He always thought Lydia was somewhat secretive. Annalise said that it was because Lydia was emo, but Simon knew that that wasn't the case. She was hiding something, but he knew enough to not ask her about it.

She would always put others first, no matter what. He recalled the one time when she had pushed a school bully out of the way of a moving car and ended up getting herself hit instead. She was in the hospital for a few months because she had broken most of the bones in the left side of her body.

There was another time when she had pretty much donated a whole lot of money to the school when a tree had fell and caused a cave in in one of the buildings. The money had helped a lot, but when they asked where she got the money, she told them that her parents had sent it.

Other than that, he had seen her do things that humans wouldn't be able to do. One time, the four friends went to another friend's sweet sixteen, and some juice had spilled on the fifteen foot long tablecloth. Before she had noticed, the entire tablecloth had disappeared. No one else at the party had noticed, but Simon later saw Lydia carrying the tablecloth out of the room they were in.

He also caught her in class one time. She was holding one of those really expensive pens: The metal ones that are really hard to break. She was writing for a few minutes when the pen snapped in her hand. There had been ink all over the page, and her hand was bleeding from the cut the pen had given her when it broke.

Those were times that made Simon confused. He had questioned it, but she then claimed that she didn't know what he was talking about. He also knew for a fact that she often walked without a sound: Like a ghost.

He knew that some of the things she did were practically inhuman, but he trusted her. After she and Annalise had become friends, he became her friend to make Annalise happy. The two had known each other since childhood, so he really couldn't say no to being her friend. He did become her friend over time, but was still a bit wary about her secrets.

He knew for a fact that she was being secretive, but he also knew that he was overthinking things. He sighed and went to get their rental car.

* * *

Sarah glanced at her Lydia, who sat next to her in the backseat of the car they were in. Simon was driving, and Annalise had called shotgun, so she sat with Lydia. It was somewhat dark out, and the moon cast eerie shadows across Lydia's face. Lydia was staring out the window, and she seemed deep in thought.

Lydia's gloved hands fingered a silver rosary on a chain. The rosary was simple, but charming all the same. It held a small ruby on each end of the cross, and a larger on in the middle of it. Sarah wondered why her friend had the rosary. Lydia really didn't seem the type to carry a rosary around at all.

Sarah saw her friend as an _almost_ Goth. Sure, she wore dark colors at times, and she often sat around as if she were brooding, but she was a friend all the same. She and Annalise seemed the closest out of the four friends.

There would be times when Lydia would star off into space, or when she would sigh as if she were sad. Sarah didn't blame her. Lydia's parents were supposedly off, traveling the world, and she lived by herself, up in the hights, away from the town

Sarah noticed that the house Lydia lived in was somewhat old-fashioned, as if she had stepped into a 1940s movie. The house was huge. It was a three story house with about nine bedrooms. The only occupied rooms were the kitchen, one bathroom, the living room, and the attic, which Lydia used as a studio.

Lydia had invited them all over once after school, and Annalise had decided to explore. She had found the attic, which was filled with drawings and paintings: that Lydia had done. Up until then, all three friends had no idea that Lydia could draw, let alone paint.

Annalise seemed less fazed about this than anyone. She had said that Lydia was good at _everything._ Then again, she did seem good at everything that she did, no matter what it was. From playing the violin (Lydia took advanced stings at school), to cooking a six course meal for the entire school board (long story).

Sarah heard Lydia sigh softly then looked over at her friend. Lydia was staring at her gloved hands. Sarah wanted to know why she wore the gloves, but seemed to lose the courage to ask about them each time. She knew that Lydia was probably the kindest person that anyone would ever meet, despite appearances.

Annalise had started to snore softly in the front seat, interrupting Sarah from her thoughts. Sarah rolled her eyes while Simon chuckled. Lydia took out her jacket that she had stowed in her carry on, and draped it over Annalise. Sarah swore that she saw Lydia smile slightly at the sleeping form of the smaller girl.

Sarah couldn't tell what Lydia as thinking. She was hard to read. Lydia's emotions were often hidden behind a fake smile, or a false laugh. It was like she didn't want her true emotions to show. She often came across as the mysterious type.

To Sarah, Lydia was the one she couldn't read. She hid her emotions so well, that it was sometimes hard to figure out if she was sad, or happy, unless she smiled, or laughed. Sarah cared deeply for her friends. Lydia especially.

She knew that Lydia carried a heavy burden on her shoulders. She wanted to help, but that as where Lydia seemed to cut the ties off from everybody. She seemed intent on harboring the burden by herself. It was if she wanted no one else in her personal matters, as if she thought that whatever burdened her would burden them.

Sarah had no idea that what Lydia carried on her shoulders would burden them all if they tried to help her…

* * *

A/N" Thank you all! SO FAR, I HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN OVER A HUNDRED VIEWS! IM SO HAPPY! But seriously, I love you guys. R and R. I also need answers to my pole!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey! Here is the long awaited chapter 4! I hope that the previous chapter king of gave you an insight on how everyone sees Lydia as. Here's the story! BTW, I will always aim for 2,000 words or more for each chapter.

I was looking at some YouTube videos yesterday, and I came across 'Secret' by the Pierces, and I thought to myself, this sounds like a good theme for Lydia. No? Oh well…. I will also answer any questions about anything. So just post them as comments, and I will answer them in the story, or as author's notes.

Oh, just so you know, I changed Lydia's last name to Nightlock, just because it rolled off the tongue nicely.

* * *

Chapter 4: Their Friend, Lost in Time

Simon, Lydia and Sarah all stared at Annalise in amazement as she devoured yet another English pastry. The four had taken a small side trip on the way to the manor, and ended up at a small tea shop in Greenwich. Lydia had ordered a small, aromatic cup of tea while Sarah ordered a scone and Simon a small crumpet. Annalise had taken a liking to the pastries that they had, and had ordered an entire box for the road.

Lydia, having switched positions with Simon, sat in the driver's seat of the car, arms crossed as she looked at Annalise incredulously. Sarah and Simon sat in the back, both looking over a road map that they had gotten from the airport.

"I think that a box for the road is supposed to be for the road. Not the parking lot outside of the place you bought them…" Lydia said, taking a sip of her tea. "Well, I wouldn't be eating them here if someone would start driving!" Annalise said, glaring at her friend.

Lydia sighed but put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

(Page break)

"Take a left here."

"No here!"

"Wait, my bad…Here!"

"No, take a right!"

"We're going in the wrong direction…"

Lydia sighed as her three friends fought over which road to take to Wiltshire, to see the Stonehenge. Simon wanted to go there, Sarah was indifferent, Annalise wanted to go shopping instead, and Lydia just wanted them all to shut up.

"Lydia, take a right here. Don't listen to what Simon says. Simon says…..Hahahahaha!" Annalise stared laughing out loud while Simon started yelling at Lydia to take a left on the next road up, while Sarah was telling Lydia to turn at the roundabout because they were going the wrong way.

Lydia felt her eyebrow twitch. Her knuckles were turning white as she gripped the steering wheel, and she could feel a serious headache coming on. She tried to put up with the constant yelling, and the oncoming throb behind her temple for as long as she could, but in the end, even she couldn't put up with it. She pulled over to the side of the road and waited.

"Guys…" she tried.

"Guys…" she tried again.

"Shut the hell up and give me the damn map!" She yelled over everyone else. She immediately heard them all stop talking, and Simon handed over the map without a word. They did not want to face an angry Lydia.

"Thank you." She said, smiling tightly. She took a look at the map, and found out that they were all wrong about the directions. She sighed and turned the car in the right direction and started driving towards their destination. The awkwardness in the car was thick enough to cut with a butter knife.

Simon was the one to speak up first." Sorry Lydia. We should have known better than to annoy you when you were driving." Lydia just shook her head. "It's my fault. I'm the one who chose to go on this trip with you lot of all people."

There was several moments of silence before her words registered within the s minds.

"HEY!"

Lydia just smiled.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Annalise whined. "No." Lydia answered. Despite the fact that the group of friends were now head in there right direction, it would still be several hours before they got there. "I'm bored…" Annalise cried, poking Lydia in the arm. Lydia's eyebrow twitched.

Simon was reading through a small travel brochure, that he had also gotten at the airport. "According to this, we won't be there for another few hours. He stated. Annalise groaned and threw her head back in exasperation. Sarah laughed quietly as Annalise tried in vain to reach Simon and slap him.

Lydia rolled her eyes and continued driving, paying little attention to her three friends.

_Why is it that humans get annoyed over every little thing?_ She thought to herself. _Did I used to be like that? _She shook her head and frowned, staring out at the road. She was shaken from her thoughts when Annalise poked her in the side. She turned to face her friend with an annoyed expression. "What is it _now_?"

"I'm hungry." Annalise stated. Lydia stared at her, not amused at all. "You just ate an entire box of pastries, and you're_ still_ hungry?" Simon asked in disbelief. Lydia sighed. "You and Annalise have been friends for how long, and you still can't believe that she is still hungry." Lydia pointed out, glaring at Simon through the rearview mirror.

"…" Simon narrowed his eyes and glared back. "There is a small tea house up ahead. Just make the first right you see, it should be in a small town." Sarah said, looking over the map. Annalise beamed at Lydia while Simon groaned. "We will never reach Stonehenge, then be back in the hotel by nightfall."

"We can, and we will." Lydia said, brushing some hair out of her face. "How?" Simon moaned, clearly intent on being a sourpuss. Lydia just smirked as she stepped on the gas.

Page Break

"I can't believe that we actually made it back in time", Sarah said, stepping out of the car and into the hotel parking lot. They were in time. Lydia had got them to Stonehenge and back to the hotel they were staying at, with daylight to spare. How? She went over the speed limit by about forty.

Annalise got out of the car and stretched." Going that fast in a car was pretty fun." She stated, looking around. "Huh? Where's Simon?" She asked, fixing her strawberry blond hair. Sarah sighed and looked back at the car.

"N-never d-do that a-a-again….." Simon groaned as he literally dragged himself out of the car. His face was a light shade of green, and he clutched his stomach in pain. He looked as if he were about to throw up. "You did say that you wanted to be back at the hotel by nightfall. Look at the sky. The sun is still out, and we have several hours left of daylight. You should be grateful." Lydia stated, crossing her arms.

Simon groaned as the three girls laughed.

* * *

Annalise plopped down on the bed in the room that she, Lydia, and Sarah shared. Simon stayed in the adjoining room by himself for obvious reasons. In the one room that the three girls were in, there were two beds, a desk and a dresser. In one corner was the roll away and there was a small bathroom with a shower.

Sarah and Annalise had taken the beds, while Lydia took the rollaway, claiming that she had slept on worst. Sarah was currently on the other bed, braiding Lydia's hair. Annalise sighed and fell back on the bed, arms dangling off the sides. "I can't wait till tomorrow." She sighed. The four friends were going to finally go to the Manor the following day, and Annalise was excited about it.

"You are going to have to." Lydia said, pushing a strand of her hair back with her gloved hand. Annalise stared at Lydia's hand for a moment before asking, "Why do you wear that glove?"

Sarah had just finished the braid, and Lydia pulled it over her shoulder. "Its late, lets head to bed." Lydia got up, pulling on her pajamas. She got on the roll away and pulled the covers over her head.

Sarah and Annalise both stared at their friend. Annalise was desperate to know the truth about the gloved hand, but the way Lydia avoided the question made her wonder if it was worth knowing. She and Sarah headed to bed, and as she lay there, she wondered what other secrets that Lydia could be hiding.

* * *

Annalise awoke to the bright sunlight that was pouring through the open window of the hotel room. She squinted and pulled the covers over her head. Lydia had already showered and dressed, and was currently packing up her suitcase. She heard the shower running, and figured that Sarah was in there, getting ready.

"Nice to see you join the land of the living." Lydia smirked at her friend, throwing a bundle of clothes at her. Annalise sat up, and glared at Lydia. Lydia was a morning person. She wasn't. Something that the two didn't have in common. "Get dressed. We don't have enough time for you to take one of those hour long showers, so you are just going to have to do without one this morning." Lydia told her friend, zipping up her suitcase.

Annalise groaned, but started to get dressed anyway. Sarah came out a few minutes later, just when Annalise was tying her hair back. She was dressed in a light pink shirt and a white, knee length, flowing skirt. Her hair was tied back with a hair tie. Her shoes were simple pink high heels. She had hoop earrings and a couple of silver spangles on ne wrist. As Annalise looked at herself in the mirror, she had to admit that Lydia was good at putting outfits together.

Lydia herself was dressed in a black shirt that consisted of a long sleeved fitted bodice and lace sleeves. Her skirt was down to her ankles and bunched slightly at the hips. Her hair was down, and was slightly wavy because she had it in a braid all night long.

Her hair held a single red rose, she wore a rosary around her neck, and her signature fingerless glove. She had high heeled boots that were laced up in crosses. She caught Annalise staring and turned away. Annalise flushed, embarrassed.

Sarah was dressed in blue jeans, a red shirt and a denim jacket. She had matching bracelets on each wrist and a blue, chunky necklace. Her hair was in a bun, and woven with small red flowers, fake of course. She saw Lydia nodding in approval, and concluded that she had also put together Sarah's outfit.

Simon came in, already packed and ready to go. He was dressed in Black jeans and a blue shirt. His hair was spiked up with a bit of gel, and he wore black tennis shoes. He nodded at the three girls in front of him. "Ready to go?" he asked. They all nodded and went to help him with the luggage.

"One more thing. _I'm _driving this time."

They all laughed.

* * *

The car that the four friends were in pulled up in front of the large manor that now belonged to Sarah's aunt. The walls were an off white, with brown window frames and a light blue trim around the entire house. The house had a stone chimney and a large, overgrown garden behind it. Annalise was the first one out of the car.

"Yes! Finally! Here at last!" she cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "We would have been here sooner if a certain someone had let Lydia drive…" She muttered, tossing a glance in Simon's direction. Sarah got out of the car as well. She breathed out a quiet," Wow", and went to the doors at the front of the manor.

Simon got out of the car and froze. He felt as if there was an ominous feel to the manor, almost as if it was haunted. He quickly shrugged off the feeling, but stayed on guard, seeing as it didn't bother Sarah or Annalise. Sarah was at the door, talking to an older woman who had answered the door.

Lydia got out of the car last. She didn't like the feel of the place. It set her on edge. The mere fact that the manor was practically in the middle of the country with no one around was enough to make her tense up.

Lydia narrowed her eyes, looking up at the manor. "I don't like it." She muttered to herself. Sarah had finished talking to the woman at the door, and came back to the three of her friends. "The woman I just talked to informed me that we actually arrived a few days early. My aunt isn't coming in for another three days. She said we could stay here and wait for her to arrive though." Sarah informed the three.

"I guess that will be fine for now." Simon said, scratching the back of his neck. He went to get the luggage and Lydia went to help him. Sarah and Annalise headed inside, while the remaining two stayed outside.

"You feel it too." Lydia stated, reaching for a suitcase in the trunk. Simon froze." What?" he asked, almost dropping the suitcase that he had. "Don't play dumb. This manor has some sort of aura around it. It doesn't feel right. "She looked up at him, eyes narrowed. " You can feel it?" Simon was surprised. He thought he was the only one who could feel it.

"I can, and I don't like it. It seems, ominous." She stated, reaching for another suitcase. Simon looked up at the manor. There _was_ something strange about the manor, but how did Lydia know? He knew she was hiding something, but what? He looked over at his black haired friend.

She seemed human, but looks can be deceiving.

* * *

Annalise flopped down on the bed in the room that she was to stay in for the summer. She and her friends had just eaten dinner, and was now free to do anything that they wanted. Lydia was staying in the room across from her own, and Simon and Sarah were just down the hall in their own rooms.

After dinner, Lydia had said that she wanted to go and explore the manor. Simon wanted to do the same, but she and Sarah just wanted to rest. Annalise sat up and looked around the room she was in. the bed was a four poster bed, with dark red draperies and gold trim. (Like in the Harry potter movies)

There was a dresser on the opposite side of the bed, and a small vanity cabinet to the left of it. She had already spread around all her things, so the dresser was full, and the vanity was covered in makeup containers and things that she used every day.

She went over to the vanity and started to pull a brush through her blond hair. She removed the makeup from her face and got dressed into something more comfortable. A pair of sweat pants and a t shirt. seemed to do the trick. She put her hair in a ponytail. She then heard someone outside her room, and decided to investigate. Slipping on a pair of ballet flats, she left the room, and treaded carefully down the halls.

* * *

Lydia quietly walked down the halls, her eyes darting from corner to corner, looking for anything suspicious.

Lydia stopped at the end of the hallway. It was dark outside, and the lights in the hallway were dim, and not quite as bright as she would have preferred. She had no problem seeing in the dark, but she was mainly focused on the safety of her friends. She sighed and turned down another hallway and started walking.

She hadn't found anything yet, and it was almost midnight. She had been searching for a little over three hours, but had found nothing. She and Simon had agreed to find the source of the aura, but so far, nothing. She sighed and turned down another hallway, and found herself outside of Sarah's room. Her eyebrow twitched. How in the world did she end up here?

She turned on her heel, and was about to head in the opposite direction, when a slender arm wrapped around her arm, and another covered her eyes. She froze, then rolled her eyes." Can I help you?" She asked the person behind her. Annalise huffed in annoyance, letting go of her friend.

Lydia turned around to look at her friend, who had attempted to scare her. "I wanted to scare you. Since you look all mysterious and stuff…" Annalise sighed and crossed her arms." You have tried time and again to spook me, but failed every time. You don't learn do you?" Lydia asked her friend. Annalise just stared out of a nearby window.

Lydia then caught sight of Simon, who had been exploring the manor as well, who was now sneaking up behind Annalise. Lydia smirked but kept quiet. Simon had succeeded on sneaking up on Annalise before he lashed out and jabbed her in the side. Annalise screeched and whirled around to find a Simon who was laughing, clutching at his sides.

Lydia smirked and laughed softly, watching Annalise try to kill Simon. "Not funny you bastard!" She cried. "Yeah it was." Simon retorted, ducking to avoid a fist aimed at his face. Sarah opened the door to her room, clearly just haven been awoken. Her hair was messy, and she wore an ankle length nightgown. "The hell is going on here?" She glared at Simon and Annalise, who were playing keep away.

"Simon scared Annalise, so she is now attempting to kill him." Lydia explained. Sarah huffed and put her hands on her hips." Couldn't she have tried to kill him a little more quietly? I mean, it's like, one in the morning." Sarah said, rubbing her eyes.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "I don't think she could even if she tried."

"Hey!" Annalise cried. She had Simon in a headlock and Simon had his arms around hers, trying to prevent her from killing him. She let him go, causing him to fall. He got up and brushed himself off like nothing happened.

"What are you all doing up at one in the morning?" Sarah asked.

"Exploring the manor." They answered in unison. Simon and Annalise glared at each other while Lydia simply sighed in exasperation. "We were going to see if we can find anything cool about this place. So far, nothing." Simon said. He looked at Lydia. She shook her head, indicating that she had found nothing either.

"I didn't check the attic though." Simon said. "I didn't either. Why don't we go check it out?" Lydia asked. Sarah readily agreed while Annalise backed away." I will not go into some creepy attic. You know all those horror movies. Everything happens in the basement, or the attic. So NO." she stated, making an x with her arms.

"You're just scared." Simon said, poking her in the arm. "Am not." She answered.

"Are to."

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Am not."

"Both of you cut it out." Lydia scolded them, irritation clear on her face. Sarah giggled and went to change into something more comfortable. "Are you going to change into something else?" Annalise asked Lydia. Lydia looked down at her clothes. She was still wearing the skirt and blouse from earlier. She shook her head." I'm fine with these." She told her.

Sarah came out of her room dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She had a small satchel over her shoulder. Lydia rose an eyebrow at her. "What is the bag for?" She asked. "I have flashlights, matches, several candles, cloth, a first aid kit, and some water." Sarah flushed as everyone stared at her strangely. "What? You can never be too prepared." She stated.

"We are only going to the attic…" Simon pointed out. Sarah huffed indignantly. "I'm bringing it anyway." She said. She took down the hall, looking back at her friends. "Are you coming or not?" She asked.

Lydia sighed as she and her friends went after Sarah.

* * *

The four friends stopped at the attic door. There was a strong, musty smell coming from the room, and as far as Lydia could tell, the attic was where the aura was coming from. She shot a glance a Simon, who looked slightly worried. He tried the door. It was locked. "Strange. This is the only door that is locked." He said, confused.

Lydia tried the door. It _was_ locked. "Stand back." She told her friends. "Hey what are you going to do?" Annalise asked. She stood back next to Sarah, who looked just as confused.

Lydia hitched up her skirt a bit, then kicked open the door. The doorknob came out, the wood around it splintered beyond repair. She looked behind at her friends, who were staring at her, opened mouthed, in amazement. "What? You wanted the door open, right?" She asked, acting like her kicking the door open was nothing. "You can't just kick the door open! What am I gonna tell my aunt?" Sarah cried.

Lydia didn't answer, but instead walked into the attic like nothing. "Hey! Don't ignore me!" Sarah cried, running after Lydia. Annalise stared after her two friends. The attic was dark, and slightly drafty. She shivered and stepped back, only to collide with Simon. "Ladies first." He whispered into her ear.

She gulped and took a step forward, then cautiously followed her two friends into the attic. Simon followed, but kept a firm grip in Annalise's shoulder, so she couldn't escape.

The inside of the attic was dark, obviously, but something about it spooked her. Like the presence that wasn't human. She felt something brush past her leg and she screamed. Simon, Sarah, and Lydia were by her side within the next second. "What happened?" Simon asked, concern evident in his voice. "Something touched my leg!" she cried, shaking. She was seriously scared. Lydia sighed. "It was probably a rat. Here, take my hand." Lydia held out her hand and took Annalise's hand in hers.

Annalise felt her blood run cold. Lydia's hand was cold. _Ice _cold, like she had kept it in a bucket of ice. She said nothing, welcoming the gesture nonetheless. Lydia pulled her along. The attic was relatively big. There were boxes piled in the corner, and there were a few pieces of furniture covered with a white cloth against one of the walls. She pressed up against Lydia's side, who was looking through some old boxes.

Simon wandered around, looking at boxes and in the corners. This was definitely the place where the aura was the strongest. In fact, it seemed concentrated in far side of the room, where an old, rotting door stood. The door frame was severely damaged by termites and water, and there was wood splinters sticking out in odd places. He could smell a presence beyond the door, and it wasn't pleasant.

Lydia made her way over to the door and tried the handle. The door slowly creaked open, and inside was inky darkness. Sarah went over and looked inside. She couldn't see anything. Simon and Annalise stood behind Lydia, who was looking in through the door.

Lydia couldn't see anything. That was what worried her. Her eyesight was usually wonderful in the darkness, but now that she couldn't see, she was even more suspicious of the aura than ever. She looked at Simon, who was glaring into the darkness. _If I can't see anything, you won't see anything. No matter how good your eyesight is. _She thought.

Annalise let out a small whimper." I'm scared. I'm going back." She stated. She turned to leave but froze. Behind the group was a hooded figure. The figure wore all black, and rose a skeletal hand to point at them." Guys?" she whispered. "We aren't alone in here…" She took a step back and gripped Lydia's arm.

Simon, Lydia and Sarah turned to look behind them. The figure moved towards them, slowly gliding over the wooden floor of the attic. Sarah screamed and stepped back. Annalise was too scared to even move. Simon felt his blood run cold. Lydia was the only one who stood her ground. She faced the hooded figure and glared at it.

She quickly pushed Annalise behind her. Simon did the same with Sarah, who was currently sobbing into her hands. Annalise tightened her grip on Lydia. She could feel Annalise shaking with fear. Simon stepped forward, shielding Sarah from the figure. It came even closer. Lydia narrowed her eyes_._

She flinched as the figure let out an earsplitting screech that made her teeth rattle. Simon covered his ears and Annalise started to wail. Sarah was already a crying mess. _I have to get them out of here…_ she thought. The figure was blocking the way downstairs, and the door behind them was the only option. She held her breath and pushed them all into the unending darkness behind them, and suddenly, they were falling.

* * *

A/N: and here is chapter 4. I honestly had a hard time trying to decide how to do the time travel thing, and the end result was so bad, it made me want to cry…but I promise, cross my heart and hope to be killed by Grell that I will try harder! Arg! I am so mad at myself right now… oh well, if you liked it, fine with me, but if not, feel free to send me some ideas on how to actually write time travel… Sayonara!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry about that little cliff hanger… Not really. Here is chapter 5. I decided to start off quite randomly, not really starting up in any of the arcs. As for any confusion with the hooded figure from the previous chapter, that will all be explained in a future chapter. Let us just say that the hooded figure is like a dementor (harry potter fans should know this) but it kind isn't…

One more thing. Since Lydia is a demon, she needs a contract mark. If anyone can describe a contract mark for her (since I think we can't post pics) I will use their oc in my story. Bye bye

* * *

Chapter Five: Their Friend, Meeting a Demon

Lydia woke up when she felt something cold and wet falling on her face. She sat up and looked around. She was in the middle of a large, barren field, and as far as she could tell, they were nowhere near the manor. Annalise, Simon, and Sarah were all sprawled out a little ways away from her, all still unconscious. She could see that the field they were in was on the side of a long dirt path that led to what looked like a town in the distance.

_Where are we_? She asked herself. She shivered slightly. The rain was coming down harder than before. She crawled over to Simon and shook him by the shoulder. He woke up, spluttering and coughing, and waving his arms around. When he finally saw Lydia, he stopped panicking and looked around. "What happened? What was that thing? Where are we?" he asked. His eyes were wide as saucers.

Lydia shook her head. "I really don't know what happened, but I do believe that that thing was some sort of ghost." She helped Simon up and went over to where Annalise was lying. She was awake, and Lydia sighed in relief. She reached out to her, but recoiled when Annalise started screaming at her. "What the hell just happened? Where are we? Damn it!"

Lydia frowned. Simon came over, followed by Sarah, who looked shaken, and slightly sick, but otherwise fine." What happened?" She asked Lydia. Lydia stood and shook her head." I'll try to explain the best I can later, but as of now, I'm about as clueless as any of you." She answered, then turned back to Annalise.

Lydia knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Annalise flinched back, but Lydia kept a firm grip on her shoulder." Annalise, Calm down." Lydia said, trying to calm the smaller girl. Annalise glared at her, but stood up.

"I want answers." She screamed, tears coming to her eyes. Lydia couldn't blame her. A while back, she probably would have acted the same way if that had happened to her. She looked up at Simon, who looked worried, and then Sarah, who looked just as worried.

"I wish I knew what happened. How do I know that this isn't dream?" Sarah asked, running her fingers through her now tangled brown hair. She looked confused, sad, scared and overwhelmed all at the same time. "I don't think this is a dream. After all, if it was, we would all be having the same dream. I think that we're safe for now." Lydia said.

"We need to get to that town over there. We need shelter, and we may be able to even get a few answers there." Lydia told her friends.

Lydia was surprised at how well her friends were taking this. Aside from Annalise. She expected them to be running around, screaming for all they were worth. Annalise was on the verge of breaking down. Sarah was quiet, and she seemed like she was in shock, while Simon acted as if the something as strange like this happened before.

Considering the fact that Simon seemed to be the only one out of her other friends that had sensed the aura in the first place, she wondered if he had been through something as strange as this. She looked over at Annalise, who seemed to have calmed down a bit. The smaller girl was shivering, her lips parted as she breathed. Lydia looked down the road, the town was a good distance away, and she knew her friends wouldn't last long in the cold.

She turned down the road and started to walk.

* * *

Annalise was scared. One moment she and her friends were in the manor's attic, then this creepy ghost thing appeared, and the next thing she knew, she and her friends were lying in a field, soaking wet, and nowhere near the manor. She wanted answers, and soon. She didn't know how much more of this she could handle.

She didn't know what to think. She wanted to just curl up in a bed and forget all of this. She wanted to be at home, with her family, sitting by a warm, toasty fire. She would rather be in math class than this. Anything but this…

Page break

Sarah stared at her feet as she trudged through the mud. The rain had stopped, but considering the fact that they were all soaked to the bone anyway, it didn't make much of a difference. She wanted to know what was going on. She wanted to get the answers she wanted. She wanted this to be a dream. She wanted to wake up at home in her bed, and pretend that this never happened.

But she could feel the wind whipping at her face, she could feel the cold through her soaked clothing, and she knew that this wasn't a dream. She knew that this was reality, and she didn't have a choice but to live it…

* * *

Simon didn't know what happened. He saw the cloaked figure, he felt the chill of the rain, and he could definitely feel the pain in his feet as he walked along the muddy path. He had been through a lot, but nothing as extreme as this. He hated not knowing what was going on. He wanted to know what the hell was going on, and he wanted to know why it happened.

He knew that getting mad wouldn't solve anything. He knew that it would only make things worse than it already was. He looked at Annalise, who looked downright scared. He wanted to be strong for her. He wanted to be strong for the person he grew up with as a child. He promised himself right then and there that he would be strong for her, even if it cost him his life…

* * *

Lydia was deep in thought. The strange aura, the hooded figure, them ending up in a large barren field, it just didn't add up. The hooded figure was something that she had never encountered before, and she really wasn't willing to cross paths with it again. She had seen a lot of strange things in the past several years, but she had never seen a hooded figure like that.

She didn't know what it was. It could've been a ghost of some sort, or even some sort of trick, but she knew that no matter what, she was going to find out what in the world was going on. No matter the cost…

* * *

Annalise didn't feel good. She felt cold, and she couldn't feel her hands or feet. She stumbled along the road, trailing after her three friends. She didn't know which was up, or down. Her head was spinning. Her three friends were all but three blurry shapes in front of her. Her chest felt tight. She couldn't breathe. She saw black in her vision. She could hear Lydia say something, but couldn't quite make it out. Her head hurt, and suddenly, her knees gave out, sending her tumbling towards the ground. She closed her eyes and slipped off into darkness.

Lydia looked behind her and saw that her three friends had slowed down considerably. She had momentarily forgotten that they didn't have as much stamina and strength as she did. She stopped walking and turned around. "We can rest if you want. I know that the town is pretty far…" she trailed off as Annalise suddenly collapsed, falling towards the ground.

Lydia rushed forwards to her while Simon and Sarah watched in shock. Lydia managed to catch Annalise before she hit the ground and was now cradling her head in her lap. Annalise was paler than usual, and her lips were a dark shade of blue, and she was burning with a fever.

Simon watched as Lydia pulled the younger girl into her arms and move to the side of the road, where a few small trees stood. She put Annalise down and put her head on her lap. It had started to rain again, and soon, Simon and Sarah were huddled together next to Lydia and Annalise.

Lydia felt Annalise's forehead. The fever was rising. She turned and looked at Simon and Sarah." Go stand in the road and try to get anyone that passed by to help us." She said. Sarah and Simon both rushed off and stood by the road, and waited.

Lydia turned back to Annalise. The younger girl was shivering, and her breathing has become rugged. Lydia knew that if anything happened to Annalise, she would never forgive herself.

* * *

It had been almost an hour when Simon heard the moving of wheels before he even saw the vehicle come around a bend in the road. It finally came into view, and Simon was amazed. It was a horse drawn carriage. He was pretty sure that they had stopped using horse drawn carriages in the twenty first century.

The driver of the carriage was dressed in a black trench coat. His face was turned down, to shield his eyes from the wind and rain. Simon was about to go and signal for him to stop, but before he could, Sarah ran out right in front of the carriage." Help us please!" she cried, stopping right in front of the carriage. The man abruptly pulled on the reigns of the horses and the carriage pulled to a stop, a mere two feet in front of where Sarah stood.

"Miss, that was very dangerous. I could have hit you…" the driver said, looking up. His hair was glossy, somewhat like that of a raven, or crow. He had one long bang hanging down his face and his eyes were a deep, reddish color. Simon felt a sort of strange feeling in his gut. Almost like the feeling he got when he was around Lydia. He looked up at the man sitting

This person was not human.

* * *

"You have to help us! Our friend is…is…." Sarah trailed off, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked up at the man, her eyes pleading. Simon stepped towards the carriage. "Please. Our friend collapsed and she has a high grade fever. You have to help us." Simon said.

"…"the man opened his mouth to say something when the carriage door burst open. "Sebastian! Why did you stop? We have only been traveling for all but a few minutes. We cannot be anywhere near the manor! "A young boy dressed in fancy clothes stepped out of the carriage. He was around thirteen with bluish black hair, and he had an eye patch over his right eye. He froze when he saw Simon and Sarah standing there in the rain.

"What is going on? Answer me Sebastian!" he yelled, looking up at the driver. The man in the driver's position sighed. "It appears that these two has a friend that has collapsed and is in the need of help. What do you wish to do young master?" He asked.

The young bot thought for a minute." Fine. We'll help them. See to it and bring them to the manor." The boy answered, turning around and once again shutting himself in the carriage. The driver placed his hand over his heart. "Yes, My Lord." He answered.

Simon was amazed at how easily that he had agreed to help them. Sarah looked thankful. The man in the trench coat stood and hopped off the carriage and went over to Sarah. "Wow, where is this friend of yours?" he asked. Sarah was speechless. The man that stood in front of her was absolutely stunning.

Simon stepped forward." They are by those trees over there." He said, pointing to the patch of trees on the side of the road. Simon gestured to Sarah, and they both led the man to where their two friends were waiting.

* * *

Lydia felt Annalise's forehead for what felt like the hundredth time. She sighed and leaned up against one of the trees and wrapped her arms around her. It was cold. Her clothes were soaked through, and she had draped her blouse over Annalise, so that left her in a black camisole. She looked down at Annalise. Her face was flushed, and her hair clung to her skin.

Lydia hoped that her friends had found someone to help them. She reached down and brushed a bit of Annalise's hair out of her face.

Humans were fragile.

They could die in an instant.

They were vulnerable.

Lydia knew these things. She had experienced these things firsthand, and had even lost people to the clutches of death. She had finally found friends, and she didn't want to lose them. Any of them. She gripped Annalise's hand in hers. It was freezing.

Unconsciously, she reached up for the rosary that hung around her neck. The familiar shape and coolness of it was a slight comfort to her, despite the predicament that her friend was in. "What would you do if you were in the same situation as I, brother?" she muttered, looking up into the wet branches of the trees.

* * *

Simon led Sebastian into the small patch of trees as fast as he could. Sarah followed closely behind. When they finally reached the trees where Annalise and Lydia were, Lydia was leaned up against a tree, arms wrapped around herself. Annalise lay on the side, head still in Lydia's lap. Lydia looked up at her two friends and the man as they approached. She still held her rosary in her hand, and she looked tired.

"We got help…" Sarah muttered, going over to Annalise. Lydia nodded and looked up at the man that her friends had brought with them. He wore a black trench coat and black gloves, but the one feature that stood out to her was his eyes. They were red, and looked at her with an intense gaze. She looked away and took Annalise's hand.

Lydia didn't like this man. Sure, she would admit that he was handsome, but the way he looked at her made her feel like she was cornered. She mentally shuttered and turned back to the man. Despite the way that she felt about the man, he might just be the only way that Annalise would get better." Can you help her?" she asked, looking into his intense red eyes.

* * *

"Can you help her?" Sebastian heard the girl in black say. Her gaze unnerved him. She was not a human. At least that was how it seemed. "Of course. You will be coming back to the Manor with us." He said. She nodded and took her shirt off of the younger girl's body. Sebastian looked over the smaller girl. She seemed to be weak and might have a slight case of hypothermia. He turned and looked back at the girl dressed in black.

She was dressed in a long black skirt and a shirt with incredibly thin straps. Considering the fact that the girl laying on the ground was covered in a long sleeved black shirt, he figured that the other girl had given up her top shirt. The girl dressed in black had incredibly long hair, and striking, silvery blue eyes. Around her neck, she had a rosary set with blood red rubies. She had a black fingerless glove on her left hand and her nails were painted black.

He narrowed his eyes. "I believe that she has a slight case of hypothermia, but other than that, I am unable to tell you what is wrong with your friend." He said, placing a knuckle on his chin. The rain was getting heavier. He noticed that the two humans that had stopped him on the road was shivering profusely.

"Oh dear. Come along. We shall go on ahead to the manor." He said, taking a step towards the two girls. He could see that the one in black stiffen when he came closer, but he shrugged it off and knelt next to the young girl on the ground. The other girl moved away from him in the slightest movement, a human wouldn't have noticed. He however, wasn't human.

Neither was she.

She was a demon.

* * *

Lydia moved away from the man as he knelt down next to Annalise. The young girl was still unconscious, and this worried Lydia. She was torn between letting the man help her friend, and telling him to leave. If he helped her, there was a chance that Annalise would recover, but if she didn't let him help, Annalise may very well die, and that fact didn't rest comfortably in her mind.

Lydia wanted to get as far away from the man in black as fast as she could. There was something about him that set her on edge. It was almost like the aura she had felt at the manor, but his seemed more demonic. Then it dawned on her.

This man… he was a demon…

* * *

Sarah and Simon watched as the man knelt down next to Annalise and Lydia. Sarah could tell that he was very well mannered and proper, almost like he came from the eighteen hundreds, when women wore corsets and prostitutes looked like proper young ladies.( compared to what prostitutes look like nowadays, you could very well say that.)

Simon barely noticed Lydia stiffen when the man knelt next to her. He wondered why, but figured that it could wait, seeing that his friend was on the ground, unconscious. He went and knelt down next to Annalise, on the opposite side of the man in black." Will she be ok?" he asked, looking at Lydia and the man.

"I don't know." They answered at the same time. Lydia's eyes narrowed and she looked away, while the man smirked slightly. "If we get her indoors, she should be fine. Some dry clothes will do her some good as well." He went to pick the young girl up, but a pale hand shot out and gripped his arm.

"Don't touch her." Lydia said. She glared at the man. Simon's eyes widened in shock. Lydia never acted this way. Not even towards strangers. He had only seen her act like that when Annalise put a dead cat in her locker at school.

The man chuckled and stood. Lydia went and picked Annalise up with ease. Simon and Sarah followed silently after Lydia as she followed the man back to the carriage.

* * *

When they had reached the carriage, the rain was coming down in sheets." I shall see that the young master will allow you to sit inside with him." The man went and stepped inside the carriage and shut the door behind him.

Simon looked at Lydia, whose hair was hanging down her back in dripping wet icicles, and then at Sarah, who looked like she was about to faint. Her eyes had dark circles beneath it and her face was gaunt.

The man came out of the carriage a few minutes later and held the door open for them. "My master gives permission for you to go in. However, it can only seat three people." He said, looking at the four.

"I'll sit in the front. "Lydia said, handing Annalise to Simon. Sarah looked at her, bewildered. "But you-"She started. "I'll be fine. A little more rain and wind can't hurt me. Besides, I am already soaked to the bone. Right now, my top priority is getting Annalise somewhere safe, and out of the rain." She stated, stepping away from the carriage. Simon sent her a look, but stepped inside, carrying Annalise in his arms. Sarah followed him and the man shut the door.

He turned to look at Lydia." I do not believe I have introduced myself. I am Sebastian Michaelis. I am the Phantomhive Butler. It is a pleasure to be of your acquaintance. He said, bowing at the waist. Lydia scoffed. She turned on her heel and frowned.

_Phantomhive? I thought the last of the Phantomhive family died over one hundred years ago… wait. If the last of the Phantomhives is still alive, that means…_

She turned back to the face Sebastian. "What year is it?" she asked. He smirked." I do believe that it is the year of 1887." Sebastian replied. Lydia's eyes widened slightly.

_That means that we….oh dear… _Lydia couldn't believe it. They were not only teleportedaway from the manor, but they were teleported back into the past.

* * *

Sebastian smirked as the female demon looked at a loss for words. He got up into the drivers part of the carriage and turned and offered her a hand." Would you like some assistance?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes and brushed away his hand.

" I can get up by myself." She said, boosting herself up onto the seat next to him. He chuckled when he noticed that she made sure to sit as far away from him as the seat would allow. She looked into the rain as the carriage started to move.

The rain pelted the carriage and the two passengers in the front. Water fell down Lydia's face, creating the illusion that she was crying. Her hand was still wrapped around the rosary. Sebastian couldn't help but wonder why a demon like herself would live among humans. She seemed to have befriended some. He had never heard of a demon befriending a human, let alone three.

This woman left him at a loss for words. Her actions intrigued him. She seemed less like a demon, and more like a human. Her movements were that of a demon, graceful and flowing, yet the way her emotions would show on her face was truly that of a human's.

He looked over at the female demon once more. She seemed confused and surprised when he told her that the year was 1887. He didn't know why, but the female demon sitting beside him acted like she didn't belong in this time, and he wanted to know why.

"You seemed quite appalled when I had informed you of the year. Might I ask why?" he asked, glancing sideways at her. He could see her stiffen ever so slightly then relax just as fast.

She sighed and told him everything that had happened, starting from the strange aura and ending with her and her friends getting help from Sebastian and whoever the young master was. He then explained that the young master was Ciel Phantomhive, and that he was the last remaining Phantomhive.

Sebastian was surprised. He had never, in all his years heard of time traveling demons. Much less humans!

"I see…" he trailed off thoughtfully. _Well, that would explain how they're dressed. _He looked at the female demon sitting beside him. He knew she was a demon, he was still questioning the way she acted like a human.

This woman was truly a mystery to him.

* * *

Simon and Sarah sat across from the young boy that they had seen earlier. Annalise was leaned up against the corner of the carriage. Her fever had gone down a little, but she still looked sickly. The boy across from them looked ultimately bored. He had his head resting on his hand, and he was staring out of the carriage window into the rain. They still didn't know his name.

"Earl Ceil Phantomhive." The boy said. Simon and Sarah looked at him. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive, and I am the head of the Phantomhive family." He sat up a little straighter and looked at the two people sitting across from him.

Sarah's eyes widened. If he was the head of the Phantomhive family, that means they were… Simon looked at Sarah, who had the identical look of shock in her face. They were in the past. The past. They were in the past….the effing past!

No matter how many times Simon repeated this in his head, he still couldn't process it. Sarah looked as confused as he felt. The young earl looked at the two in front of him. They seemed shocked about something.

"Is something wrong?" he asked with a hint of annoyance. The two people in front of him looked at him blankly.  
"The past…." Sarah muttered. Simon stared at Annalise. The young girl was at this point sleeping peacefully. Ciel was getting mad. "Hey! Tell me what in the bloody hell is going on!" he demanded, leaning forward. Simon turned to look at him, still shocked, but calm enough to talk. "We were in her aunt's attic and we went through this door and we fell…" he muttered, but still loud enough for Ciel to hear him.

"What?" Ciel was confused. "We landed here…" Sarah said, looking a bit dazed. Simon and Sarah recalled everything that had happened to the young earl, and ended the story with them getting into the carriage.

Ciel sat back and sighed. He was a bit skeptical about their story, but if demons, and shinigami existed, time travel shouldn't be too far from reality. "Ok." He said bluntly.

Sarah looked at him. "You believe us?" she asked. Ciel laughed. "I have heard of and experienced a lot of strange things, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised to hear that time travel exists." He said, smirking up at the two teens.

Simon leaned back. "How do we get home?" he asked." I wouldn't know. But I do know someone who might. We'll go see him tomorrow." Ciel answered. Sarah thanked him and turned to Annalise. "What about her?" will she be okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. Ciel shook his head." I don't know. I'll have Sebastian take care of it." He said, waving his hand dismissively. Sarah and Simon looked at him blankly.

"Who?" they asked in unison. Ciel sighed. "Sebastian Michaelis is my butler. He's the one driving the carriage, and sitting with your friend. By the way, you never introduced yourselves. "He pointed out. "I'm Sarah Midford." The brown haired girl introduced herself as. "I'm Simon Croft." The dark haired boy pointed at Annalise. "That is Annalise Bennett." He introduced her. Ciel was surprised to hear his fiancé's last name at the end of Sarah's, but he figured since Sarah's great great aunt was Lizzy, then it would probably make sense.

Ciel nodded and looked out the window. The rain was still coming down, but not as hard. The sky was black with clouds, and he could see the occasional flash of lightning.

"You can stay at my manor until this entire time travel thing is figures out. Think of it as a courtesy of the Phantomhive family. But keep in mind that your great, great aunt is my Fiancé, you are going to have to change your name for the time being." He said to Sarah. She nodded." I can use my teacher's name. So now I'm Sarah Miller." She said.

Ciel nodded and leaned back, once again bored.

* * *

Lydia was freezing. She knew that at this point, normal human would have gotten a severe case of hypothermia, or they would have been dead by now. The rain wasn't helping, despite the fact that the rain wasn't as intense. Beside her, Sebastian looked about as comfortable as a cat curled up by the fireplace.

She shivered slightly and leaned back against the carriage, wrapping her arms around herself. She never had anything against rain, since she loved the smell of fresh rain, but after sitting in a thunderstorm for a few hours, she wasn't so sure if she liked the rain anymore.

Sebastian saw her shivering and sighed almost inaudibly. Her head snapped in his direction. "What?" she glared at him. He smirked." I suppose that you have been in the rain for quite a long time." He stated. She huffed in annoyance and looked away.

She_ had_ been in the rain for a while, but she wasn't about to say that she was. She knew that she couldn't get sick, so she put up with the cold, despite the discomfort. She looked down at her fingers. They were numb, and slightly blue at the tips, but she sighed and tucked them under her arms, trying to warm them.

Sebastian chuckled. The woman that sat beside him was amusing. He pulled on the reigns and the carriage pulled over a hill in the road. Lydia could see a large manor in the distance, and was surrounded by a lush green forest.

She made a mental note to draw the scene before her sooner or later, but now, she had to worry about the safety of her friends and how to get back home. Her face fell, and Sebastian noticed it from the corner of his eye. He turned and looked at her. "Is something wrong miss?" he asked. "I don't know how to get home." She stated. She was fingering the rosary again.

He wondered why she had the rosary in the first place. Normally, demons would be weakened by carrying such an item, but considering the fact that he felt perfectly fine, and that she didn't seem bothered by it, he supposed that she must have had the item with her when she became a demon.

"You never told me your name." he told her, looking at her sideways. She looked away. They were now riding through a grove of trees. He reached over and took the chin, pulling her to face him. "I asked for your name." he said, leaning in close. They were about to centimeters apart. "Lydia Nightlock." She said, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, Miss. Nightlock, we will be arriving at the Phantomhive manor shortly. We will then go inside and I will assist you with you sickly friend." He smirked, then let go. She pulled away quickly, liking this man less and less. She knew that she had to put up with him, especially since he was a demon and could easily kill all three or her friends with a simple flick of his wrist.

She shuddered at the thought. He really gave her the creeps, and she herself was a demon. They had reached the manor, and was pulling to a stop in the front of it, near the front doors. Sebastian slid down from the seat and went to get the door for the Young Master.

* * *

A/N: I finally introduces Ciel and Sebastian to the story! but saying that, I am absolutely horrified at how this chapter came out. someone kill me... I need ideas!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: here is chapter 6….I ONLY HAVE TWO VOTES ON MY POLL! I NEED MORE! Oh well. I really do need more because the votes are at a tie, so I'm either going to have a very awkward love triangle, or some of you can vote and not have an awkward love triangle. Your choice! SephyraCresent is helping me with the story from now on! Some of it is her work, so ,….yea…..

Chapter 6: Their Friend, Working in the Manor

Sebastian closed the front door as soon as the last person crossed the threshold. The storm was muffled, but one could still hear the wind and rain pounding on the roof and the walls.

Ciel went and stood in the middle of the room. "This is the Phantomhive Manor. You may live here until your problem is solved. Sebastian, I'm going to bed. I'm tired. And make sure that our guests are taken care of." Ciel turned on his heel, and made his way up the stairs and to the second floor.

Sebastian bowed and straightened up. "As you wish. My Lord." He said. He turned and faced the friends. Annalise was still unconscious, and Simon seemed tired. "Come right this way. I shall lead you to some of the guest rooms. It is late, and I am sure that you all would like some dry clothes to change into." He led the friends up the stairs and down a hallway. He stopped in front of one of the doors, and turned to Sarah.

"This shall be your room miss. I will send one of the maids to assist you with a bath." He opened the door for her, and Sarah stepped inside. He went over to another room." This shall be the room for your friend. Please, do go inside." He said. Simon went in and placed Annalise on the bed." I shall bring in some dry clothes for your friend. In the meantime, let me show you to your room." He led Simon out of the room, closing the door behind them, leaving Lydia alone with her friend.

Lydia was surprised at the demon's behavior. Sure, she was demon herself, but it was surprise that a demon would act so civilized… then again, he was probably acting. She shuddered, thinking about some of the things that she had seen other demons do.

She went and sat down on the bed and took Annalise's hand. Her fever was high, and her face was flushed. Lydia sighed and placed her hand on Annalise's forehead, and willed the fever to lessen. She pulled back as soon as the temperature dropped a bit.

She had promised herself that she wouldn't show people what she could do, but if she was unconscious, it would be okay, right? She sighed and walked over to the window. There was a small window seat below it, and she sat down, leaning her head against the cool glass. The rain was still coming down in sheets, but she found the sound of it comforting and soothing, despite the fact that she was soaking wet and shivering.

She closed her eyes, and started to hum. It was a familiar tune, one that her mother used to sing often. She hugged her knees to her chest. She missed her family. He father, her mother, her older brother…

They weren't coming back. They were in a better place. At least she hoped… she sighed and folded her hands in her lap. It wasn't long before she felt herself drifting off into sleep…

* * *

Sebastian, dry clothes in hand, knocked quietly on the door to the room that Lydia and her friend were in. when there was no answer, he opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The young girl was still asleep on the bed, but he found Lydia asleep on the window seat.

She had her head resting against the cool glass, and her hair had created a shadow across her face. She was breathing softly, her shoulders raising and falling with each breath. Her clothes were still damp.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. He knew that demons didn't need sleep, as it was a luxury that they had, but even if they did, it was away from human eyes. This woman really confused him at times.

He set the clothes for the young girl on the dresser. He was going to send Mey-Rin in to dress the young girl. He went over to Lydia and picked her up, one hand supporting her shoulders and the other underneath her knees. He carried her out of the room and down the hall.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at Sebastian, eyes wide in surprise. He smirked. "Hush now. We don't want you waking up the young master, do we?" He said, head tilted to the side. She scrambled to get out of his arms, and he finally let her go when they were right in front of the room that was designated for her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed under her breath. Sebastian merely chuckled." You fell asleep, so I was going to take you to your room." He answered. She was outraged. "Leave me alone." She spat out through clenched teeth. He smirked and opened the door to her room. "After you." He said. She glared at him, but walked into the room anyway.

He followed her and closed the door behind them. She whirled, facing him. "Get out." She said, eyes flashing dangerously. He smirked again. "My master has told me to see to our guests. I am merely following orders." He stated. He crossed over to a wardrobe that stood on the far side of the room. He pulled out a simple nightgown and tossed it to her.

"I have already prepared your bath. I suggest that you take your bath and get dressed." He said, opening a door to the adjoining washroom. She narrowed her yes at him." Leave first." She said, crossing her arms. He chuckled and made his way to the bedroom door. He opened the door and stepped out.

Without turning back, he said; "I know about your past." Then he was gone, the door closing behind him. Lydia stared after him in shock. He knew? She sighed and stared down at the nightgown she had in her hands and sighed.

She had a feeling that her time here at the manor, despite the young earl's kindness, was going to be horrible. For her at least.

She sighed and went to take her bath.

* * *

Lydia woke at the sound of abrupt knocking at the door or the room she was staying in. She groaned and sat up, running her fingers through her knotted hair. "May I come in miss? Nightlock?" she heard a voice ask. She narrowed he eyes. It was that butler again. "Fine…" she yelled at the door, walking over to the vanity cabinet in the corner of the room

Sebastian had provided some combs and brushes as well as some hair clips and ribbons, so she set to work to pull every snarl out of her hair. The door creaked open, and in walked Sebastian himself, carrying a small tray of tea in his hand. He was smiling, much to Lydia's surprise.

He set the tray down on the desk in the room and went to open the curtains. Bright sunlight streamed into the room, making Lydia squint at the sudden change of lighting. "I see that you are awake. I have brought you your morning tea. "He poured a cup of steaming tea and handed it to Lydia, who took it and looked at him strangely. "Is something the matter miss?" Sebastian tilted his head, raising his eyebrows.

She narrowed her eyes. "How do you know about me?" she asked. He chuckled, and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Everyone knows about Lucifer's granddaughter." He said, he rose a gloved hand and pulled at a bit of her hair. "Although I am surprised to hear of a demon, much less the granddaughter of the devil himself befriending humans." He said. His face was inches away from hers. "I've never heard of a demon acting as a butler." She retorted, pulling away from him.

He straightened up and took the brush from her hand. "Let me do this for you. I wouldn't want you hurting your delicate wrists, milady." He said, starting to pull the brush through her hair. She got up and reached for the brush. "I can do it myself thank you very much." He held the brush out of her reach. "I am afraid I cannot allow you to do such things. After all, you are technically a royal." Sebastian said, teasingly. She glared at him then reached for the brush that Sebastian had over his head.

Despite how tall she was herself, she was not tall enough to reach Sebastian's height. "Give it…" she said through clenched teeth.

(The following section was written by SephyraCrescent. All credit goes to her!)

"No need to get hasty." Sebastian says suavely, only serving to irritate the demoness further. When she tries to grab his wrist, he yanks the brush through a knot, causing her to growl. "Oh, tender headed. Are we?" 'That sly idiot' Lydia grumbles mentally.

"I think I am well suited to grooming myself. So, if you would be so kind as to stop plowing into my scalp with that brush. I would be ever so grateful." She says, mock sincerity dripping from her voice maliciously. Sebastian's eyes flash red competitively and he chuckles.

"Are you now? Is that why you aren't even dressed appropriately?" He asks, setting the brush aside and motioning to her chest. "Anyone could see your build from miles around. You don't have on a corset. How unsightly for a "noble". Besides, do you even know how to lace one correctly?" His voice drops ten octaves as he says this, causing a shiver to run through the female in front of him.

"No, but I'm damn sure I could figure it out. Now, if you don't leave I will have to force you to. Are you forgetting that you're talking to the grandchild of Lucifer, as you so kindly put it? I could snap your neck in a heartbeat." She stands and swirls around to face the ravenette.

"Are you forgetting that you're talking to a sly idiot, as you so kindly put it?" Suddenly, Lydia's t-shirt from the day before was ripped off of her torso and replaced with a corset. "Now, I suggest you breathe if you don't want me to strangle you to death." Growls Michaelis.

"What in the bloody hell are you-Oh Lucifer! Damn it!" The girl is cut off when the raven demon gives a good tug at the strings of the corset, causing her breathing to be cut off. She tries batting at him, but it's all just a waste of breath. Trying desperately to regain her posture, she grabs on to the chair before her and straightens her back, much to the butler's surprise.

"You are doing well for such a little spitfire. I thought you could snap my neck at any given moment. Or were those just empty words?" An irk mark appears on the girl's forehead and she growls, turning in an attempt to elbow the man in the ribs. "Nuh-uh-uh. Not so fast. We really should get you in a dress before the Young Master calls for his tea." He continues, dodging the attack as if it was a mere breeze.

Lydia sighs, slowing down her "heart" rate and straightening her spine once again. "If you think that you're going to get me in a dress Michaelis you're dead wrong. I don't care about the corset but I do care about not being able to move freely and having to be conscious about rather I move my leg at the wrong angle. Now, give me back my shirt." She demands with a mischievous glint in those eyes of hers.

"As you wish, but do not be upset when people mistake you for a peasant." He says, plastering that fake smile of his on his face as he hands her the requested clothing.

"Turn around." She deadpans.

"I'm the one who disrobed you, and believe me there's nothing to be shy about." He leans down and whispers in her ear, "You can't be shy about what you don't have." which earns him a punch in the gut.

"Turn. Around. NOW Michaelis." She growls, eyes glowing the same red as his.

"Fine, fine. You win." He says, raising his hands in mock defeat and turning on his heel to give her some privacy. Right as she gets dressed his head snaps up from its glaring at the floor. And no doubt peeking. "The Earl wishes to see us in his study." He says in a calm and collected manner.

"Well, he can wait a moment. I still need to brush the left side of my head that you so nicely left untouched."

"I am afraid this cannot wait. It is an order after all. You of all people should know how that goes."

"I do know how that goes and I also know that he's a child and has the ability to wait."

"Fine, if this is the way you want things done. Then so be it." Sebastian says, lifting the woman up by the waist and hoisting her over his shoulder.

"What in the bloody hell! Put me down!" You really are a nuisance, you know that?!" Yells the female demon. She balls her fists up and proceeds to pound on his back all the way to the study. When they arrive, Sebastian taps on the door and steps back a bit.

"Master?"

"Yes, enter." Says the young voice of Ciel Phantomhive. Immediately they are in the study and Lydia goes quiet. "Now, before I begin I would like to request that you two quiet down a bit. Your morning endeavors are none of my business but they're getting a bit loud." And the two demons fluster.

*Meanwhile, With Sarah and Simon*

* * *

*Sarah's POV*

'Ugh, my head is absolutely killing me.' I mentally drone, only half awake. 'Maybe if I can manage to get more sl- wait. Where am I?' My eyes shoot open to be met with blinding sunlight that doesn't help my headache in the least. I rip the covers from myself and stand up, my nightgown flittering along with me. 'Alright, let's assess this situation. We arrived at the estate, check. We went exploring because the others demanded we do so, check. And then we...oh.' My heart rate slows down to a normal pace. "Wait that means that Annalise could still be hurt!" I groan and strip myself, quickly changing into acceptable attire. Which means the clothes from the day before.

I walk to the door and open it, giving my new "room" one last glance before I bound off down the hallway to where I know Annalise is resting. 'She better not be any more sick than she was yesterday.' I growl inwardly. I know good and well how she works, she's stubborn and refuses to do as told. If someone tells her down, she goes up. Simple as that.

As I read her door I stop and lean against the wall, catching my breath. Reaching out, I twist the doorknob and open it, preparing myself for evidence that she had somehow snuck out or gotten worse. As my eyes adjust to the generous darkness that blankets her room, I see two figures instead of one. Rushing in, I prepare to attack whoever dares to touch my friend. "Wait, hold it, it's just me." I hear a familiar masculine voice say.

"Simon, don't you think you could announce yourself before I get myself worked up?" I try to sound irritated but fail miserably. He just chuckles and shakes his head, returning his gaze to our ill friend.

"I was trying to not startle you, but that backfired now didn't it?" I just scoff playfully and lightly hit him on the shoulder. Then, turning my gaze to Annalise, my heart drops. She still looks as pale as she did yesterday, I see no signs of recovery. "She's been awake once, so don't get too worked up. Her fever has gone down slightly but she's still in no shape to get up and move around." He stops and laughs quietly. "You should have seen how aggregated she was that we told her to stay in bed." 'We? '

"Who has been in here besides you? They didn't try to touch her did they?" My protective side may not be obvious in my everyday life, but I don't play games when it comes to my friend's safety. Or dignity.

"No no no. You don't honestly think I would let that happen? It was just that butler. Sebastian, was it?" I nod and he shrugs. "He got her to take some medicine and drink some tea. We haven't been able to get her awake enough to eat anything, though. So they're giving her vitamins so she won't famish by the time she wakes up." I giggle.

"We all know that she eats like a horse. It kinda makes me jealous about how skinny she is." I sigh. "I have to watch every calorie I eat or I'll blow up like a blimp." Simon then looks at me with an angry glint in his eye. 'Did I say something wrong? '

"I don't want to hear you talking down about yourself. You're beautiful the way you are and I don't think you need to watch your weight in the least." He says, maybe without realizing it because after a few seconds pass he flushes. I have to blink multiple times to register what was just said.

"Y-You think that I'm beautiful?" My heart rate speeds up again, my headache gone by this point. Luckily, it's dark enough in the room so that my blush is hidden from Simon's view.

"Well yeah! Everyone does." He grumbles and stands up turning away from me. I can only smirk as I place my hands on my hips. A knock sounds on the door that startles us both.

"The Young Master requests your company in his study promptly." The voice of the odd butler says from the other side of the door. Also, I think I hear Lydia yelling. 'What has she gotten herself into? 'But as so as I think I hear it, it's gone. 'Huh. 'Someone tugging on my arm brings me back from my thoughts.

"Come on, we need to go. Annalise will be fine." Simon's deep voice drawls and I nod.

"Yeah, let's go."

*LETS DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN: To Ciel's Study.*

* * *

*3rd Person POV*

Four people stand before the Earl's desk. In order it goes: Sebastian, Lydia, Sarah, and Simon. They all are currently waiting patiently for Ciel to finish rummaging around with whatever paperwork he's looking at. Abruptly, he stands and walks around to the front of his desk, hands clasped behind his back. "Alright, you three, four if we want to count Lydia, will now be permanent additions to the household. Therefore, you will also be permanent additions to the staff. I want you each to get acquainted with the other servants and figure out which are you will fit best in. Report back to me when you have made your decisions. You will start your official work tomorrow. You are all dismissed." The four bow and make their way out of the doors. "Everyone except Lydia and Sebastian." Ciel adds on.

After Simon and Sarah leave, the Young Phantomhive casts his gaze seriously upon the two demons before him. "I know what you are," He says pointing an accusatory finger towards the demoness "and I'm not going to have you mingling with the other servants. You will stay by Sebastian's side at all times. Think of it as being his shadow." The boy looks amused while Lydia looks like she's given up all hope of ever being happy again.

"You must realize this isn't at all healthy. Two demons are like putting a cat and a dog together." Sebastian cringes at the analogy. Ciel's smirk doesn't waver, it only deepens.

"Well then I guess you'll just have to grow accustomed. You are both dismissed." Reluctantly, the two bow and exit.

*Meanwhile with the other two*

"It's so nice to have a new girl, yes it is!" Mey-Rin gushes as she wraps Sarah into a rib crushing hug. Unable to breathe, the girl just goes limp in attempt to make it hurt less.

"Uh, Mey-Rin. I think you are hurting her." Finny says timidly, feeling sorry for the poor maiden.

"O-oh right. I apologize, rah yes I do." The fusanette says nervously, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

"It's alright, honestly." Sarah says in an attempt to quickly cheer up the crestfallen maid.

"And who're you?" A strong accent fills the room, making everyone turn to look at Simon and Bardroy who are having a glaring match.

"I'm Simon, glad to make your acquaintance." The dark haired male spits mockingly, causing his female companion to sweat drop.

"Hey Simon, maybe you and Bardroy aren't the best people to be paired up to work together." The two males turn around to face her, furious flames in their eyes.

"What are you talking about?! We get along just fine!" They then glare at each other.

"Hey! Quit copying me." They chorus simultaneously. They then start throwing various things at each other, causing the other people in the room to hide under a table.

"You know Sebastian is going to get mad!" Finny warns.

"He'll be furious, yes he will!" Mey-Rin yells. A loud boom fills the room and all falls silent. Everyone looks up to see Sebastian holding a hand on each of the fighting males' chests.

"I do not know what the problem is nor do I care. This is to be cleaned up immediately." The butler says, smiling that fake smile of his.

"Y-Yes Mister Sebastian!" Both Mey-Rin and Finnian say in sync. The man in black then turns to Simon and Bard and they cringe.

"As for you two, I want you both to go outside and do Finny and Mey-rin's duties...since he'll be busy cleaning up YOUR mess." The two nod and run off, leaving a smirking Sebastian and an amused Lydia.

(end section that she wrote)

* * *

and that is it for chapter 6. the poll is done, and I have chosen Bard to be with Annalise, so Simon will be with Sarah. don't hate me, and I will try to update as soon as possible! a lot of credit for this chapter goes to SephyraCresent. she helped me write it, and I have to say, she added a lot of interesting stuff. make sure to give her some credit as well!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 17: Their Friend, a Shadow

Lydia sighed as she grudgingly followed Sebastian through the halls of the manor. He strode in front of her, back straight and hands at his side. He was smiling, and as far a she could tell, enjoying the fact that his mere presence annoyed her.

He led her down several other halls and down to a door that she guessed was the kitchen. She could hear yelling that sounded strangely like Simon and another man she didn't know coming from behind the door. Sebastian sighed and opened the door and strode inside, and Lydia followed him, raising her eyebrows at the scene before her.

Simon was throwing random kitchen items and goods, which he was pulling out of nowhere at a man who stood on the other side of the kitchen. He wore a white kitchen outfit that looked as if it was singed on the edges.

He was yelling at Simon and also throwing things at him while Sarah and two others that Lydia didn't know hid under the table, Sebastian sighed again and walked towards both men.

"You know Sebastian is going to get mad!" Finny warns.

"He'll be furious, yes he will!" Mey-Rin yells. A loud boom fills the room and all falls silent. Everyone looks up to see Sebastian holding a hand on each of the fighting males' chests. Lydia rolled her eyes.

"I do not know what the problem is nor do I care. This is to be cleaned up immediately." Sebastian said, smiling that fake smile of his.

"Y-Yes Mister Sebastian!" Both Mey-Rin and Finnian say in sync. The man in black then turns to Simon and Bard and they cringe. Lydia smirked. Maybe working with this absolute douchebag wouldn't be so bad after all.

"As for you two, I want you both to go outside and do Finny and Mey-rin's duties...since he'll be busy cleaning up YOUR mess." The two nod and run off, leaving a smirking Sebastian and an amused Lydia.

* * *

Sebastian knew he couldn't disobey his master and refuse to work with the demoness, but he wanted to leave and have nothing to do with it. He could tell that this wasn't going to be an easy time in his life.

He sighed and looked over at the woman beside him. They were standing in one of the hallways of the manor, him wheeling a cart of tea and such, while she stared out of one of the windows. She seemed somewhat sad, and he could just see the longing that lingered in her silvery blue eyes.

"What is the matter, oh miss granddaughter of Lucifer?" he asked mockingly. She looked as if she were about to say something to him, like one of her snarky comments, but closed her mouth and shook her head. He narrowed his eyes, but walked on to deliver the young master his tea.

It had been several days since Lydia and her friends had arrived at the manor, and Sarah had found her place in the staff as a cook, while Simon started working in the garden with Finny. Lydia, having supposed to say with Sebastian for her job, has found little time to interact with her friends, although she visited Annalise often, who still hasn't regained enough strength to get up and about.

Much to Lydia's surprise, Annalise had taken the fact that they had gone back in time quite well. She seemed to be content with it, as long as she had her friends by her side, but more so Lydia.

* * *

Bickering. That's all that can be heard right now from those two demons, and its grating on the Young Master's last nerve. "If you two do not quiet down this minute I will throw both of you out of the estate and off of the property. Am I understood?!" the blunette yells, slamming his hands down on the desk and standing up so abruptly the chair flies out of the window behind him. 'Oops.' he sheepishly thinks.

"Master, I think you can see now that it was not the best idea to put us together." Lydia says, resisting the urge to sock Sebastian right in his face. Never had she been so riled up by one person. Normally she would just ignore them, tune them out, and let her mind flitter off to other things, or at least solve the problem. But somehow the situation seems different this time. More…Unbearable.

"I have to agree, my Lord. We have been going back and forth since we stepped foot out of your study the first time." Sebastian says with a bow. Ciel sighs, rubbing his temples. A trait he had inherited from his late father.

"If you cannot simply look at is from an "It is an Order" point of view, then look at it as an exercise. If you two cannot bring yourselves to get along that is not very professional is it? I will not stand for having servants who cannot take their job seriously. So, if you do not get along with him," The Bocchan points at the raven demon, "then I shall banish you and your friends rather Annalise has recovered or not." He sits back in his chair with a wide smirk on his face. "So I guess this is where I should say," He raises his arm and drops it quickly, "Let the games begin."

The two servants look at each other with mischievous glints in their eyes, and then turn back to their Master and bow lowly. In sync they both chorus: "Yes, my Lord."

* * *

*Meanwhile with Bardroy and Simon*

"I 'eel like a girl." Bardroy grumbles, yanking weeds out of the ground with so much force he manages to bring an inch of grass with everyone. "I honestly 'on't know how Finny does it. I know that 'es not the manliest lad in Brittan but 'eesh." The man's cigarette is low so he uses it to light another one. Beside him, Simon looks upon him with an emotionless stare, which is unusual for the boy.

"You do realize that I don't sympathize with you, right? You're the one who got us in this mess in the first place." The dark-haired male grumbles as he waters the flowers...wearing an apron. Suddenly, the entrance to the garden flings open and there stands a disheveled Sarah.

"Simon, Bardroy! Would you two like some-." She stops short when she sees the boy's attire and starts stifling giggles that are threatening to bubble up to the surface. "Oh you poor thing, Simon." The boy just glares daggers at her and she falls to the ground laughing. Mey-Rin catches her and begins to lecture the poor maiden.

"You really need to be more careful yes you do!" The still giggling girl points a finger at the two males who are, by this time, dying of embarrassment. The red headed maid looks over to see the two and starts laughing herself, accidentally dropping the girl she is/was supporting.

"'Ey! Would ya quit 'er laughin'?! At least we are doing our jobs! What about you two. What're you doing out here?" The ex-soldier inquire as he returns to violently pulling weeds. Mey-Rin and Sarah kneel down to help the two men, Sarah tying her hair back with her new bonnet.

"Well, we got out jobs done so we thought we would come lend a hand!" The beaming smile of the Midford caused Simon to stare a little too long, earning himself a nudge in the ribs from Bardroy, who leans over to whisper in his "rival's" ear.

"You're going to have some competition if you think that you're going to get 'er." The chef smirks and the boy's eyes narrow.

"You don't even know her! She's mine so lay off!" He yells, the two maids look in bewilderment as Simon turns the color of a tomato. "I'm going inside to check on Annalise." He huffs, stomping off.

"He's been acting extremely strange lately." Says an oblivious Sarah, earning a chuckle and a shake of the head from the other two servants.

* * *

*Back to Lydia and Sebastian*

"So, that is how you polish the dishes to the Master's satisfaction." Sebastian finishes a lecture. Lydia stares at him in complete dis-amusement. The raven demon raises an eyebrow at her and she rolls her eyes.

"The great Michaelis that is talked about all over the Inferno is talking to me about polishing tableware. I really expected more from you, Sebastian." She says, mocking Mey-Rin's timidness around the demonic butler. He smirks and takes a step towards her, causing her to take a step back.

"Just what might I need to do to meet your expectations, my dear Lydia?" The tone of his voice causes the demones's brain to quit working. "My my, you are a bit flustered." The girl quickly regains herself at his comment and simply glares.

"Weren't you going to show me how to "properly set the table?" You should really get about that. You have only five minutes to do so before you said you had to prepare dinner." The butler's eyes widen at the girl's quick recovery and he turns on his heel, leading her to the dining room.

"I think you mean we have to prepare dinner. Oh, and right this way." The fake smile on his face slathers his words, coating them in forced sincerity, which is one thing Lydia hates the most. With a huff and a shake of the head, she follows as he says.

* * *

"We have a guest coming today." Sebastian said, pulling out a box of tea leaves from a cupboard in the kitchen. Lydia was sitting at the table in the center of the room, fingering the rosary of hers again. "A guest?" she questioned. She had found that being Sebastian's shadow was fairly interesting, partially because she had not been around another demon in decades. "Yes, a guest, and we will need to prepare the manor and make it ship shape for his arrival." Sebastian answered, placing the tea in a pot and filling another with hot water.

"I suppose this if for dinner?" Lydia asked, hopping off the stool and fetching the tea cart for him. "Precisely. Now go wake the others while I finish prepping for the Young Masters breakfast. I want them all to their jobs immediately." he spoke, rolling up his sleeves and taking a frying pan off its hook on the wall. She nodded and went on her way, tying on a crisp white apron over her black skirt. She still refused to wear dressed, but opted for dressy shirts and skirts that went just down to mid-calf, so just below the knees. This had surprised Sebastian. Unlike other female demons, who wanted nothing more than to wear the most prettiest of dressed and most revealing of cuts, the demoness that now served as a companion wore the most modest clothes she could find.

Today, her hair was tied up in a messy, yet professional looking bun. She wore a wrist length black glove on her hand, probably to hide her contract mark and her rosary hung around her neck. She refused to wear makeup, and preferred to instead wear nothing, and let her natural complexion show.

This gesture had again surprised Sebastian, seeing as most female demons that he had met preferred to wear about ten pounds of make-up. He watched her as she brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face and head to the servant's quarters to wake the others. He chuckled and thought of how this demoness never ceased to amaze him yet again with the simplest of things.

* * *

_Annalise was standing on the edge of a tower of some sort, looking down at the hundred foot drop below her. The wind was pulling at her hair, causing it to whip around her face. She looked down at her clothes and saw that she was wearing a somewhat of a tattered ball gown. It would have been beautiful, if not for the blood and the singed edges that adorned it. _

_"Don't do this!" she heard a voice yell. She looked down behind her and saw Lydia sitting against a wall, arms wrapped around her bleeding torso. It was evident that she was in pain, clutching at the wounds that had stained her dress red with blood. Her hair was down, and framing her face in wild, raven colored strands, moving slightly as the wind blew over her. She was crying. Tears were streaming down the black haired girl's face, dripping onto the ground beside her. "Lydia..." Annalise took a step towards her, arm outstretched, but then she froze. _

_There were suddenly two hands on either of her shoulders. They were ice cold, then warm, then searing hot. She turned to face whoever was behind her, and gasped. Behind her, clad in white was a man with chrome colored hair, with striking purple tips and startling blue eyes. His eyes were soft and dark, almost like the depths of the ocean, entrancing her. "Lyzer...why?" her words were ripped away by the wind. _

_"Dear, sweet Annalise. Do not be deceived by the demon's words. She will only you do come closer to your downfall. Come with me, and I will ensure your happiness. Demons shall not be trusted. I will make you the happiest woman in the world. I will purify you and make you clean. Please come with me." He held out his hand, beckoning her to go with them. She took a hesitant step towards the man, and sheltered herself in his embrace. _

_"Annalise! Don't go with him!" She heard her friend yell. She wanted to look up, to meet her friends gaze once more, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew that it would only add to the pain that she had caused her, and she didn't want her to suffer any more than she already had. _

_She buried her face in Lyzer's shoulder as he pulled her further away into darkness. _

* * *

Annalise sat up in her bed, breathing heavily from the dream she had just had. The room was dark, and she could barely see the outline if her hands in front of her. The curtains of her room were closed, and the darkness seemed almost pliable. What the hell was that about? Who is Lyzer? Why did I feel so...safe in his arms? Her head was swimming with questions. What happened to Lydia? Why was she crying and bleeding from wounds that she didn't have? What in the world did she dream about?

She shook her head and crossed over to the window and threw the curtains open, sunlight piercing the darkness of her room. Below her, in the garden next to a white rose bush sat Lydia, who was inspecting a single white rose in her hand. The bushes rustled a bit and she saw Sebastian, the butler who had once given her a bit of medicine, pop his head out and look over at Lydia. Annalise couldn't hear what they were saying, but Lydia laughed at something Sebastian said. He then went over to her pluck the rose out of her hand and place it in her silky black hair, the rose standing out in stark contrast against it.

Lydia looked taken aback as Sebastian said something else, then watched his retreating back as he went back into the manor. Lydia looked up and saw her friend hanging out of the window and waved, smiling softly.

* * *

*with Lydia and Sebastian, about an hour prior to Annalise's dream*

After waking the other servants, Lydia went to find Sebastian, who she later found in the laundry room, folding tablecloths. He was smiling as if he was having a blast, but she knew that wasn't the case. "Sebastian, the others are awake and I had them-" she was cut off by Sebastian who suddenly threw a cloth at her. She caught it with ease, but glared at him. "What was that for?" she asked.

He merely chuckled. "since you are here, I suggest you get working on folding them and putting them back where they came from." he walked out of the room, leaving Lydia alone with an armful of sheets."...That damn idiot..." she muttered.

After Lydia had finished folding up the sheets and tablecloths, she joined Sebastian in the garden as he trimmed back the white roses that Ciel seemed to like. She sat on a bench near several of the bushes while Sebastian was behind one, cutting several of them off. She reached out and caught one that Sebastian had thrown over the bush, wondering what was wrong with it. "Why did you cut this one off? It looks fine to me." she commented, twirling the rose in between her fingers.

"That rose has an imperfection. If you look closely, the rose has an inner petal that had but a blemish." Sebastian answered. She looked carefully at the rose, and found that it did indeed have a small blemish. It was so small, however, that it made no difference to her as she continued to twirl it between her fingers. "I guess just as every rose has its thorns, every rose has an imperfection." She said. Sebastian came out from behind the bush and spoke. "It must be perfect for our guest tonight. There must be no imperfections." he deadpanned.

Lydia laughed. "Perfectionist." she muttered. "If you think that I am so much as a perfectionist, I suppose something is missing from your hair." She ignored him and continued to look at the rose until Sebastian reached out and took it from her, placing it in her hair just above her bun. "There. Perfect." he stated simply, striding towards the manor without another word.

She was surprised. That was not something she had been expecting, especially from Sebastian! She stared after him for a few seconds, then looked up at the manor to find Annalise looking outside her window. She smiled softly and waved at her friend.

* * *

*A Few Hours Later*

*3rd Person POV*

Sebastian walks over to a distracted Lydia, pulling her cleaning rag clean out of her hands. She was supposed to be cleaning the windows, but seemed lost in thought. As he does this, she is abruptly pulled back to reality and she whirls around to face him, an aggravated expression on her face. "And just what was that for?" She tries to sound irritated, but fails.

This makes the Demon Butler wonder just what she had been thinking about prior to his rude interruption. "The Young Master wishes to see us." He then leans down, getting about three inches from the slightly dazed Lydia before him. "Also, you seemed to be off in some sort of dream land."

He leans a bit close. "Care to share what you were thinking about, my Dear Demoness?" She then gains back her look on reality and backs away from him, whirling around to head towards the kitchen. "Just give me a moment to clean up." She grits out, wiping her hands on her apron and completely ignoring the Michaelis' earlier question.

As she starts to walk away, something latches itself onto her wrist and begins dragging her in the opposite direction. "I hate to 'Burst your bubble.' as I have heard your friends say, but he wants us immediately. It is not like he will really look at you anyway." He mutters under his breath quite childishly which makes the female demon behind him narrow his eyes.

"You say that as if you didn't get two centimeters from kissing me earlier in the garden." She huffs, equally as childishly. He spares her a sideways glance before releasing her wrist and knocking on the study door. "Enter." A seemingly distressed Phantomhive demands.

The two walk in, Lydia being the one to shut the door behind them before walking up and bowing accordingly. "What took you two so long?" The child behind the desk fit for a king asks the two deadpanning individuals before him. Lydia clenches her hands, which are behind her. 'This child knows too much for his age. Or at least thinks too much for his age.' Her mind spitefully growls

"We were all the way in the dining room, polishing the table. I assure you it will not happen again, Young Master." Sebastian answers, bowing slightly. Ciel still eyes them suspiciously but decides to drop the subject. "Hm, well alright. Now for the reason I called you here." He rises from his chair and gracefully walks around his desk, leaning his back against the front of it, facing his two servants.

"As I would hope you both already know, we are having an important guest here to the estate later this evening. I want everything to be spotless and perfect." The young Phantomhive narrows his eyes and then smirks. "You may want to go check on the servants. I have already spoken to them..." Both Lydia's and Sebastian's eyes widen a good bit before they nod.

"Understood, Master." They say in unison, which makes them give each other sideways glares. The smirking Phantomhive goes back behind his desk and sits on his "Throne". "Dismissed." And with that, Lydia and Sebastian are off like lightning.

* * *

*About Two Minutes Later*

"What are you so worried about?" Sebastian's slightly deeper voice, due to the worry of course, asks as we walk swiftly towards the kitchen. I look up at him and narrow my eyes. "My friends, particularly Simon, are terrible when they feel they are under pressure. Simon gets...mean." I finish the last part with a sigh. Sebastian's chuckle fills the area around us and I look up again to be met with his signature fake smile.

"I would not worry your head over him. He will be just fine. Finnian will be able to take care of anything that weak mortal could throw at them." I raise an eyebrow in a questioning sense and whack him on the arm. "Don't ever talk about him or any of my friends that way, understood?"

I walk a bit ahead of him as we near the kitchen. I can almost feel his disapproving look on my back as I slip into the kitchen, keeping my presence masked. "You just had to ruin it didn't you?! Since when does somebody use a FLAMETHROWER to cook meat? That is the most barbaric thing I have ever heard of!"

My dear, dear, dear Simon is going head to head with Bardroy in a yelling match as Mey-Rin and Finnian are hidden under their trusty table, trying to pull Sarah under with them. "Oh yeah? Well why you would add extra rising flour to the SELF RISING dough 'at was already in the cake"? Bard yells back, making the anger in Simon almost become visible. Sarah then rushes over and gets between them, a hand on either of their chests. They both stop in their tracks and look down, blushing.

"Would you two stop? It's very unprofessional." Her sweet voice rings through the kitchen, silencing everything. The blush turns from sweet to embarrass on the young boys as Bardroy jumps away from her, but Simon stays. "I'm sorry, Sarah." He smiles and she returns the favor. I then motion for Sebastian to enter, which he swiftly does so. Making the silence turn from comfortable to tense in a split second.

"May I ask exactly what is going on here?" The fake calm in his voice make the hair on my neck stand on end. Dear Lucifer this demon was creepy. Simon grabs Sarah around the waist, making her blush as he pulls her to the other end of the room with him. "W-Well, Mister Sebastian. Bardroy used his flamethrower to cook, yes he did." Mey-Rin says, crawling out from under the table she had taken shelter under, Finnian following close behind. Sebastian sighs, rubbing his temples in thought.

"Alright, well...Bardroy and Sarah, go fetch the sand from the shed and spread it EVENLY across the front garden." The two nod and sprint off, leaving a smoldering Simon. "Simon, you go and stay with Annalise. She is not well enough to mingle out of her room yet." He nods, begrudgingly, and heads off towards his designated job. "Mey-Rin and Finnian, go retrieve some stones from beside the lake and arrange them nicely in the

front garden in the sand. Be sure to make it look similar to a Japanese Rock Garden." They both nod and run off as well. "Well aren't they just obedient." I say under my breath and he turns his head to look at me before grabbing my wrist, again, and turning to walk out. "You and I are going to town. Go get dressed in more appropriate public attire."

He demands as he shoves me off towards my room. I sigh and strip, grabbing the dress that was laid out for me. 'Well, so much for not wearing dresses...this is going to be a long evening. I can almost smell it.'


End file.
